A mixture of freezing rain/sleet and snow will spread over northern Illinois including the Chicago area early Thursday with considerable potential for icy roads and hazardous travel to start the morning commute. Farther north – closer to the Illinois-Wisconsin state line into southern Wisconsin more snow is expected to feed into the mix. During the day the mass of precipitation will spill across Lake Michigan into Lower Michigan and northern Indiana.
In the Chicago area a Winter Storm Watch for 2 to 6 inches of snow Thursday in Lake and McHenry Counties has been continued. Closer in - in the immeniate Chicago area – temperatures will be very critical with the icy mix - dependent upon sub-freezing surface temperatures early in the day. As the low pressure system moves east of the area into Indiana and Michigan, precipitation will change over to snow here with some accumulations possible – especially in the counties closest to the Illinois-Wisconsin state line where 3 to 6 inches may add up before the snow ends later Thursday night.
The maps below depict the smattering of Winter storm warnings/Watches/Advisories – all of which deal primarily with the wintry mix of freezing rain/sleet and snow, while across the central and north portions of Wisconsin and Lower Michigan heavy snow from 6 to 12 inches is forecast.
