Increasing snow and wind to make travel hazardous in Illinois today

[March 05, 2013]  A winter weather advisory is in effect from 6 a.m. Tuesday to midnight for the counties of Logan, DeWitt, Piatt, Champaign, Vermilion, Cass, Menard, Scott, Morgan, Sangamon, Christian, Macon, Moultrie, Douglas, Coles, Edgar, Shelby, Cumberland and Clark, including the cities of Lincoln, Champaign, Urbana, Danville, Jacksonville, Springfield, Taylorville, Decatur, Charleston, Mattoon and Shelbyville.

Timing: Rain and snow will become widespread Tuesday morning and may be mixed with sleet at times. By midday, most of the precipitation should change to snow, but the mixture may linger into early afternoon closer to the Interstate 70 corridor. The snow will begin to diminish west of Springfield by midafternoon, although it will not completely end until evening. In east-central Illinois the precipitation will remain steady into evening before diminishing.

Accumulations: Total accumulations through Tuesday night will range from 3 to 4 inches in areas from Jacksonville to Danville to around 1 to 2 inches from Mattoon south to I-70.

Impacts: Travel will become increasingly difficult Tuesday morning as the precipitation changes to all snow and will remain treacherous into evening.

Precautionary, preparedness actions: A winter weather advisory for snow means that periods of snow will cause primarily travel difficulties. Be prepared for snow-covered roads and limited visibilities, and use caution while driving.

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A winter weather advisory also remains in effect until midnight for the counties of Knox, Stark, Peoria, Marshall, Woodford, Fulton, Tazewell, McLean, Schuyler and Mason, including the cities of Galesburg, Peoria, Bloomington, Normal and Havana.

Timing: Mixed precipitation will change to all snow early Tuesday morning and should be fairly steady through midafternoon. The snow should diminish in intensity by late afternoon, but will persist much of the evening.

Accumulations: Total accumulations through Tuesday night are expected to range from 4 to 6 inches, with the heaviest totals north of the I-74 corridor.

Wind: Northwest winds are expected to gust over 25 mph by late afternoon and continue through the evening. This could cause some patchy blowing snow.

Impacts: Travel will become difficult by late Tuesday morning as the snowfall becomes moderate to heavy at times. The patchy blowing snow will also limit visibilities, making driving treacherous.

Precautionary, preparedness actions: A winter weather advisory for snow means that periods of snow will cause primarily travel difficulties. Be prepared for snow-covered roads and limited visibilities, and use caution while driving.

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Graphical depiction:
http://www.crh.noaa.gov/wxstory.php?site=ilx
(Or see March 5 weather graphic below.)

For updates, check http://www.crh.noaa.gov/ilx/.

[Text from National Weather Service, Lincoln office]

A winter storm will affect central and southeast Illinois through Tuesday night. The system will bring accumulating snow to much of the area, with the bulk of the snow falling during the daytime hours Tuesday. Total snow accumulations of 4 to 6 inches are anticipated along and north of a line from Havana to Lincoln to Paris, with accumulations tapering off farther south. Rain mixing in at times across the south will keep snow totals down in that area.