With a 140 mile-per-hour north-south jet stream flow aloft established just to our west – chilling high pressure is being pulled out of the Arctic all the way south into the Gulf of Mexico. The leading edge of this cold air passed through the Chicago area Thursday night, and by Saturday we will be sitting just south of the center of coldest air. Highs here on Saturday will struggle to reach 20 degrees accompanied by single-digit wind chills.
Lake effect snow
While cloudiness and snow flurries will persist over Chicago and northeast Illinois as well as southeast Wisconsin – just to our east will be an entirely different story, as the winds draw moisture from Lake Michigan and dump several inches of lake-effect snowfall over the Michiana snow belt – beginning Friday afternoon and lasting through a good portion of Saturday.
Future storminess
The cold air is expected to modify Sunday with a sunshine “breather” before the next low pressure system approaches from the west. A wintry mix of rain/sleet and snow could occur Monday with perhaps a major winter storm following next Thursday. Stay tuned!
