Midwest Chasing

...WINTER STORM WATCH IN EFFECT FROM LATE THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH  
FRIDAY EVENING...  

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN CHICAGO HAS ISSUED A WINTER STORM  
WATCH...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM LATE THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH  
FRIDAY EVENING.   

.SNOW IS EXPECTED TO OVERSPREAD THE AREA AFTER MIDNIGHT THURSDAY  
NIGHT AND CONTINUE THROUGH THE DAY FRIDAY BEFORE DIMINISHING EARLY  
FRIDAY EVENING. THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR STORM TOTAL SNOWFALL  
ACCUMULATIONS OF AROUND 6 INCHES FROM LATE THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH  
EARLY FRIDAY EVENING...WITH A POTENTIAL FOR SOME HIGHER AMOUNTS.  

With tonight’s Alberta Clipper, February 2008 ties the all time February snow record for Chicago. This month was crazy for snow; practically every week had a snow event.

Chasing looks to begin for the season this weekend. The SPC has the southern plains into the Gulf States highlighted for severe weather:

I just have to say that Skilling and his RPM model totally nailed the snowstorm yesterday. All the other models were showing pitiful amounts of snow for Chicago but not his!

I’ve got around 10 inches in my front patio:

We’re currently under yet another Winter Storm Warning for 6-8 inches of heavy snow. Chicago initially had the snow starting this evening but it’s been snowing heavily since noon. Here’s the current NAM snowfall total run; the black dot is where I’m at:

I just drove home from Glen Ellyn; the trip usually takes me around 15 minutes, but tonight it was around 45. Total whiteout conditions here; at times I could barely see in front of me. I’ve got a couple photos uploaded into the gallery and am uploading video now.

What a crazy winter…

Here’s some footage from earlier:

URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHICAGO/ROMEOVILLE IL  
941 PM CST MON JAN 28 2008  

...STRONG WINTER STORM DEVELOPING OVER PLAINS WILL HIT NORTHERN  
ILLINOIS AND NORTHWESTERN INDIANA TOMORROW...  

A STRONG WINTER STORM IS DEVELOPING OVER THE CENTRAL PLAINS. A  
STRONG COLD FRONT ASSOCIATED WITH THE STORM WILL MOVE INTO  
NORTHERN ILLINOIS BY LATE MORNING TUESDAY. AHEAD OF THE FRONT...  
LINGERING RAIN SHOWERS WILL CONTINUE OVERNIGHT AND INTO THE  
MORNING HOURS TUESDAY. AS THE FRONT SWEEPS ACROSS THE  
REGION...WINDS WILL QUICKLY STRENGTHEN TO 25 TO 35 MPH WITH GUSTS  
TO 45 MPH. WITH THE FRONTAL PASSAGE... TEMPERATURES WILL DROP  
SHARPLY AND RAIN WILL QUICKLY CHANGE OVER TO SNOW. ANY RESIDUAL  
PONDING OF WATER AND SLUSHY SNOW WILL FREEZE IN PLACE...CREATING  
TREACHEROUS DRIVING CONDITIONS. THE STRONG WINDS COMBINED WITH  
ONGOING SNOWFALL WILL CAUSE OCCASIONAL BRIEF WHITEOUT CONDITIONS  
AT TIMES...PARTICULARLY DURING THE LATE AFTERNOON AND EVENING  
HOURS. THE HEAVIEST SNOWFALL IS EXPECTED TO OCCUR OVER NORTH  
CENTRAL ILLINOIS WITH 2 TO 4 INCHES TOTAL ACCUMULATION...AND  
LESSER AMOUNTS TO THE SOUTH AND EAST. MUCH OF THE SNOW SHOULD END  
BY LATE TUESDAY EVENING AND THE CONCERN WILL TRANSITION OVER TO  
DANGEROUSLY LOW WIND CHILLS. TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED TO DROP  
BELOW ZERO OVER NORTH CENTRAL ILLINOIS AND INTO THE SINGLE DIGITS  
ELSEWHERE. COMBINED WITH CONTINUED STRONG WINDS...WIND CHILL  
READINGS WILL DROP TO AROUND 20 BELOW ZERO LATE TUESDAY NIGHT AND  
EARLY WEDNESDAY MORNING. BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW WILL ALSO COVER  
PORTIONS OF THE REGION...PARTICULARLY NORTH OF THE INTERSTATE 80  
CORRIDOR WHERE THE HEAVIER SNOW IS EXPECTED. 

THE POTENTIAL IS THERE FOR AN INTENSE COLD SPELL WITH HIGHS IN THE
SINGLE DIGITS AND LOWS BELOW ZERO. THESE TEMPS COULD BE ACCOMPANIED
BY STRONG WINDS DEPENDING ON HOW DEEP THE EAST COAST BOMB GETS.
THE MEX GUIDANCE…WHICH IS STILL OBVIOUSLY BEING HEAVILY
INFLUENCED BY CLIMO…STILL SUPPORTS WIND CHILLS TO 20 BELOW ZERO
FRIDAY NIGHT. TOO SOON TO GO THAT COLD BUT DECIDED TO TREND TEMPS
DOWNWARD IN THE GRIDS SOME AND WILL CARRY A MENTION OF THE WIND
CHILLS IN THE HWO THIS MORNING TO HIGHLIGHT THIS POTENTIAL
UPCOMING COLD SPELL. IRONICALLY THIS COLD SNAP APPEARS TO BE
PERFECTLY TIMED FOR THE BOAT SHOW NEXT WEEKEND…NOTHING LIKE 20F
BELOW WIND CHILLS TO GET YOU IN THE MOOD FOR RECREATIONAL BOATING!