UPDATE: 9 Inches of Snow, Winter Storm Warning Now in Effect
- UPDATE 8AM FRIDAY, JAN. 18
The National Weather Service Chicago has issued a Winter Storm Warning for Kane County and surrounding area.
The NWS-C is now forecasting as much as 9 inches of snow followed by freezing cold temperatures, set to wallop Kane County residents this weekend, starting this afternoon (Friday, Jan. 18, 2019).
Snow is expected to overspread areas north of I-88 by late this afternoon or evening, then overspread the remainder of the area through the evening.
Expect periods of moderate to occasionally heavy snow overnight into Saturday morning.
Winds gusting 30 to 35 mph are expected to develop tonight and continue into the day Saturday. This will result in blowing and drifting of snow, especially in rural and open areas.
The chance for snow diminishes from the west Saturday afternoon, though lake effect snow showers will continue for portions of far northeastern Illinois and northwest Indiana into the day Sunday.
The northwest part of Kane County appears to be in the swath that will get the most snow — from 5 to 9 inches.
“The forecast track could change, so stay tuned for updates and be prepared for winter weather,” the Weather Service said.
For late Saturday into Sunday, lake effect snow will be possible with additional accumulations possible near the lake. After the snow, the area will deal with some bitterly cold temperatures, as minimum wind chills could get as low as 15 degrees below zero.
When It’s Coming
Here’s a timeline of the hazardous winter weather in store Friday afternoon-night through Sunday night.
Snow overspreads the region starting late this afternoon/evening and will peak overnight into Saturday morning.
Snow will gradually taper off from the west through the day Saturday, except for lake effect snow showers that will persist over portions of far northeast Illinois and northwest Indiana into the day Sunday.
Meanwhile, winds will ramp up tonight and continue through much of the day Saturday. Winds gusting to 30 or 35 mph will result in blowing and drifting snow, especially in open and rural locations. Strong winds will help to drive bitterly cold temperatures into the region.
By Saturday night, expect many areas to bottom out in the single digits to teens with little recovery expected on Sunday.
Additional lake effect snow will occur Saturday night into Sunday for northeast Illinois and northwest Indiana.
If planning to travel in these areas then, expect impacts from snow-covered roads and potential blowing/drifting snow.
For a more complete summary of the expected hazardous weather and impacts, go to: www.weather.gov/lot/sitrep.
“This is a complex storm system, so amounts may change with later forecast updates,” the NWS said.
Detailed Forecast
- Friday: Snow likely, mainly after 5pm. Cloudy, with a high near 28. North northwest wind 5 to 10 mph becoming east northeast in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 15 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible.
- Friday Night: Snow. The snow could be heavy at times. Patchy blowing snow after 4am. Low around 25. Blustery, with a northeast wind 15 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New snow accumulation of 4 to 8 inches possible.
- Saturday: Snow likely, mainly before noon. Patchy blowing snow before 4pm. Cloudy, with a high near 25. Blustery, with a northeast wind around 20 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%.
- Saturday Night: Scattered snow showers, mainly before midnight. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 7. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
- Sunday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 16.
- Sunday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 3.
- Monday (MLK Day): A chance of snow. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 17.
- Monday Night: A chance of snow, mainly after midnight. Cloudy, with a low around 14.
SOURCE: National Weather Service Chicago
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