Freezing rain, snow and bitter cold in forecast after temps hit 50s on springlike Wednesday. ‘It’s just going to be nasty out there.’
Buckle up, Chicago. We are in the midst of what is going to be a wild, season-traversing ride, forecasters warned.
Wednesday morning began with an influx of warmth pushing up from the south, with temperatures reaching 53 in Chicago accompanied by high winds — a springlike day.
But the nighttime forecast called for a storm system to push into the area with heavy showers expected to turn into freezing rain and snow as temperatures started to drop. Forecasters said we will hit a low of 17 in the city late Thursday, and it will be about 10-12 degrees by daybreak Friday.
The Chicago area is expected to see two waves of snow, one in the early morning Thursday and another in the afternoon and evening, said Brett Borchardt, National Weather Service meteorologist.
Central Cook County was been upgraded to a winter storm warning because the combination of snow and strong winds off Lake Michigan will create “near blizzard conditions,” Borchardt said.
“We may not see a lot of snow in the city of Chicago but when it comes down Thursday afternoon with the wind, visibility is going to be really low,” he said. “It’s just going to be nasty out there for several hours in the afternoon and evening.”
Forecasters are predicting between 2 and 5 inches of snow total between the two waves, Borchardt said. But south of Interstate 80, those snowfall totals will increase dramatically, he said.
The crazy mix of weather prompted several warnings from meteorologists regarding wind, flooding, heavy rain, snow, ice-covered roads and the potential for river levels to quickly rise, possibly melting and breaking the ice.
A wind advisory was in effect from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. for Cook County and most points south and east of the metro area, including much of northwest Indiana.
“Secure loose outdoor objects — it’s going to be a windy day! The unseasonably mild conditions today will come along with strong winds from the south gusting up to 40-45 mph,” the weather service warned on its website Wednesday. “Travel will be difficult for high-profile vehicles, especially on exposed east to west roads.”
Rain was expected to fall south of the metro area — mainly in areas south of Interstate 80 and in the Kankakee area and central Illinois and Indiana — during the afternoon. But heaviest rainfall was expected Wednesday night before the precipitous drop in temperature led to a “north-to-south precipitation type transition,” meteorologists said.
Rainfall amounts of 1 to 1 ½ inches were expected in parts of the state. The combination of warm temps much of Wednesday along with rain brought on the chance of flooding to “flood-prone and poor drainage areas, as well as an increased risk for localized breakup ice jams and subsequent river rises, especially for points on the Kankakee and Iroquois rivers and south,” according to the weather service.
Snowfall was expected to begin in the Chicago metro area early Thursday, likely causing serious commuters delays. What’s more, most of northern Illinois also could be coated with anywhere from a “glaze of ice” to a tenth of an inch of ice.
Snowfall rates could peak at more than an inch an hour in some spots, which could further reduce visibility. Snow is expected to taper off about 9 a.m. but then start up again in the afternoon.
“Snowfall rates over 1 inch per hour are possible Thursday afternoon and into the early evening and strong winds gusting to 40 mph may lead to blowing snow and further reduced visibilities,” the weather service said. “Plan for ... greatly increased travel times, especially for the Thursday afternoon and evening commutes!”
According to a “winter weather timeline” forecasters posted on social media, snowfall could continue through 7 p.m. Thursday.
The Tribune’s Stephanie Casanova contributed.
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