An active weather pattern is underway, bringing a variety of winter weather concerns to the region today, with rain, snow and high winds making for a messy evening commute.
Light precipitation has already begun moving in from the west, with mainly rain south of I-80. With most temperatures generally hovering around 32°, some isolated colder spots may experience some initial ice glazing.
Precipitation eventually transitions to all snow between 1-3 pm, continuing throughout the day before winding down as flurries around Midnight. The heaviest snow during this period can be expected between 2-7 pm, impacting travel for the evening commute. High winds will also be a factor, with peak wind gusts up to 40 mph during the height of the storm in the afternoon, likely leading to blowing snow.
Overall snow accumulation will favor northern sections with 2-5″ north of I-80 and 1-3″ south. The Rockford area will likely see the highest snow totals.
Wind speeds will remain high overnight, causing continuing blowing and drifting of snow through Noon on Friday.
The other weather story is the plunging temperatures expected tonight that will extend into next week, with persistent sub-zero wind chills throughout. We are also watching the potential for multiple rounds of snow on Saturday, Sunday and Monday, as we remain in a very active winter weather pattern.