By Meteorologist Tom Skilling
Snow is to follow Friday's sunshine, much of it to come down in a 6 to 8 hour period commencing just an hour or two beyond sunset Friday night. It's the first of two snowy spells likely to occur this weekend. The second hits later Saturday night into Sunday morning.
Neither spell of snow is to come ANYWHERE close to generating the 4 to 10-inches which fell last weekend, transforming the Friday rush hour into a 5 to 6 hour nightmare for many.
The clouds which spread back into the area Friday afternoon and evening, could send up to 6 to 8 hours of wet snow into the Chicago area Friday night.
Snow is to commence within an hour or two of sunset Thursday evening. A slushy half inch to two inch accumulation appears a good bet in a number of areas near Chicago Friday night, especially on grassy and colder outdoor surfaces.
This winter has produced the fewest sub-freezing days in nearly four decades
With just 11 sub-32-degree temperatures so far this year compared to the average since 1928 of 25 at Midway Airport, this winter has seen less than half the typical number of below-freezing days in the city. By comparison, last winter had logged a phenomenal 43-days below freezing by now.
Meteorological winter 2011-12 heads into a 47th above-normal day since Dec. 1 Friday
Temperatures peek above normal Friday for the 47th time since the 3-month Meteorological season began on Dec. 1. 82 percent of this season's days have produced a temperature surplus.
Second snowy spell sweeps in Saturday night ahead of a brief rendezvous with daytime 20s Sunday
A second snowy spell ahead of the weekend's coldest air is to sweep across the Chicago area late Saturday night into early Sunday. Once again, modest snow accumulations are possible--potentially an inch or two of snow at some locations.
The passage of that snow will allow daytime readings Sunday to settle back to the low or mid 20s amid powerful northwest wind gusts.
Strong warming follows next week; a string of 40+-degree days begins Tuesday
The chill won't last long if current forecast trends prove accurate. Daytime readings are expected to bounce back to the mid or upper 40s Tuesday and peak in the 40s Wednesday and Thursday next week.
Snow is to follow Friday's sunshine, much of it to come down in a 6 to 8 hour period commencing just an hour or two beyond sunset Friday night. It's the first of two snowy spells likely to occur this weekend. The second hits later Saturday night into Sunday morning.
Neither spell of snow is to come ANYWHERE close to generating the 4 to 10-inches which fell last weekend, transforming the Friday rush hour into a 5 to 6 hour nightmare for many.
The clouds which spread back into the area Friday afternoon and evening, could send up to 6 to 8 hours of wet snow into the Chicago area Friday night.
Snow is to commence within an hour or two of sunset Thursday evening. A slushy half inch to two inch accumulation appears a good bet in a number of areas near Chicago Friday night, especially on grassy and colder outdoor surfaces.
This winter has produced the fewest sub-freezing days in nearly four decades
With just 11 sub-32-degree temperatures so far this year compared to the average since 1928 of 25 at Midway Airport, this winter has seen less than half the typical number of below-freezing days in the city. By comparison, last winter had logged a phenomenal 43-days below freezing by now.
Meteorological winter 2011-12 heads into a 47th above-normal day since Dec. 1 Friday
Temperatures peek above normal Friday for the 47th time since the 3-month Meteorological season began on Dec. 1. 82 percent of this season's days have produced a temperature surplus.
Second snowy spell sweeps in Saturday night ahead of a brief rendezvous with daytime 20s Sunday
A second snowy spell ahead of the weekend's coldest air is to sweep across the Chicago area late Saturday night into early Sunday. Once again, modest snow accumulations are possible--potentially an inch or two of snow at some locations.
The passage of that snow will allow daytime readings Sunday to settle back to the low or mid 20s amid powerful northwest wind gusts.
Strong warming follows next week; a string of 40+-degree days begins Tuesday
The chill won't last long if current forecast trends prove accurate. Daytime readings are expected to bounce back to the mid or upper 40s Tuesday and peak in the 40s Wednesday and Thursday next week.
