National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office

• Home
• Site Map
• News
• Organization
• Search for: NWS All NOAA 

000
FXUS63 KLOT 250739
AFDLOT

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHICAGO/ROMEOVILLE IL
139 AM CST SUN JAN 25 2015

.UPDATE...
900 PM CST

EVENING UPDATE...

HAVE UPDATED GRIDS TO REFLECT MUCH LOWER SNOWFALL AMOUNTS ON SUNDAY
TO THE NORTH OF INTERSTATE 80 AND ALSO SLOWED ARRIVAL OF
PRECIPITATION MAINLY TO EARLY TO MID SUNDAY MORNING. RADAR...SURFACE
ANALYSIS AND SATELLITE TRENDS SUPPORT THE NEW 00Z GUIDANCE AND
LATEST HIGHER RESOLUTION GUIDANCE ROLLING IN DIGGING THE 500 MB WAVE
FARTHER SOUTHWEST AND ASSOCIATED SURFACE LOW FARTHER SOUTHWEST AND
THEN SOUTH OF THE CWA.  NOW LOOKING AT GENERALLY AROUND A FEW TENTHS
TO UP TO AN INCH NORTH OF INTERSTATE 88...ONE TO TWO INCHES BETWEEN
I-88 AND I-80 AND ONE TO THREE INCHES SOUTH OF INTERSTATE 80. IF THE
FARTHER SOUTH TREND BECOMES MORE AGGRESSIVE AS THE SYSTEM APPROACHES
SUNDAY...THEN EVEN THESE AMOUNTS COULD END UP BEING TOO HIGH.
NAM/WRF AND OTHER HIGHER-RES GUIDANCE CONTINUES TO HINT AT LAKE
ENHANCEMENT DURING THE DAY SUNDAY INTO THE AFTERNOON INTO PARTS OF
NORTHEAST IL AND NW IN...BUT UNLESS FRICTIONAL CONVERGENCE CAN
ENHANCE RATES A BIT...THE THERMODYNAMICS AND INVERSION HEIGHTS ARE
VERY MARGINAL TO ACTUALLY ADD MUCH TO SNOW TOTALS.

REGARDING THE MIXED PRECIPITATION IN THE SOUTHERN CWA...THE
SOUTHWARD TREND AND DELAYED TIMING OF THE SYSTEM SHOULD ALLOW FOR
COLDER AIR TO BLEED SOUTHWARD AND SUPPRESS THE MIXING ZONE SOUTHWARD
FROM THE PREVIOUS FORECAST. ANY WINTRY MIX/RAIN SNOW MIX IN THE FAR
SOUTHERN CWA WILL LIKELY TRANSITION TO SNOW BY MID DAY/EARLY
AFTERNOON.

UPDATED ZONES WILL BE SENT SHORTLY.

RC/KREIN

&&

.SHORT TERM...
250 PM CST

THROUGH SUNDAY...

MAIN FORECAST CONCERN WILL BE PASSAGE OF A CLIPPER SYSTEM ACROSS THE
MIDWEST BRINGING ACCUMULATING SNOWFALL AND FOR SOME AREAS A WINTRY
MIX OF PRECIPITATION. CLOUD COVER WILL CONTINUE TO INCREASE THE
REMAINDER OF THE TODAY AS THE LOW DIVES ACROSS THE DAKOTAS INTO
MINNESOTA. MODELS ARE IN DECENT AGREEMENT TRACKING THE SURFACE LOW
ACROSS FAR NE MO LATE TONIGHT INTO DOWNSTATE IL BY SUNDAY AFTERNOON.
1000MB-700MB LAYER MAX WETBULBS ARE UP TO 2C SOUTH OF THE I-80
CORRIDOR THROUGH LATE MORNING/EARLY AFTERNOON SUNDAY...THEN START TO
FALL QUICKLY FROM THE NORTH THROUGH THE AFTERNOON HOURS. WITH THAT
IN MIND...THINK THAT PRECIP WILL BEGIN AS PRIMARILY SNOW NORTH OF
THE I-80 CORRIDOR WITH RAIN/SLEET TO THE SOUTH...EVENTUALLY CHANGING
OVER TO ALL SNOW. MODELS IN GENERAL HAVE THE AXIS OF HIGHEST QPF
SOUTH OF I-80...BUT WITH WARMER TEMPERATURES...IT APPEARS THE
HIGHEST SNOWFALL MAY OCCUR A LITTLE FARTHER NORTH. DID BUMP UP SNOW
TOTALS ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE CHICAGO METRO WHERE MODELS CONTINUE TO
ADVERTISE AN INCREASE IN THE LOW LEVEL LAPSE RATES AS WINDS TURN NE
OFF LAKE MICHIGAN WITH LAKE ENHANCEMENT APPEARING AT LEAST POSSIBLE.
NAM AND REGIONAL GEM GUIDANCE BOTH SHOW A SLIGHT MAX IN THE QPF
VALUES OVER THE AREA AND HAVE BEEN CONSISTENTLY ADVERTISING A BUMP IN
THE LOW LEVEL OMEGA STARTING LATE MORNING INTO THE AFTERNOON.
FORECAST SNOW TOTALS FOR THIS EVENT WILL BE 1-3 INCHES WEST OF A
WAUKEGAN TO STREATOR LINE...AND 2-4 INCHES EAST. WILL HAVE TO
MONITOR THE MESOSCALE BANDING THREAT FOR SOME LOCALLY HIGHER
AMOUNTS. NAM GUIDANCE IN PARTICULAR WAS HINTING AT AN AREA OF LOW
LEVEL FGEN DEVELOPING FOR EAST CENTRAL IL AND NORTHWEST
INDIANA...BUT LAPSE RATES UPSTAIRS ARENT OVERLY IMPRESSIVE IN THE
LATEST MODELS RUNS. ALSO SURFACE LOW SLOWLY FILLING AS IT MOVES
TOWARDS THE OHIO VALLEY WILL ALSO BE A LIMITING FACTOR. WILL ISSUE
AN UPDATED SPS THIS AFTERNOON FOR THE SNOWFALL. AS MENTIONED...STILL
CANNOT RULE OUT SOME LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS THAT MIGHT REQUIRE AN
ADVISORY HOWEVER DONT HAVE MUCH CONFIDENCE WHERE OR EVEN IF THIS
WOULD OCCUR.

WINDS WILL START TO RAMP UP FROM EARLY MORNING ON OUT OF THE
NORTHEAST AS A TIGHT GRADIENT SWEEPS ACROSS THE REGION ON THE BACK
SIDE OF THE LOW. NORTHEAST WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO GUST 30-35 MPH AT
TIMES ACROSS THE AREA. THESE MODERATELY STRONG NORTHEAST WINDS OVER
LAKE MICHIGAN WILL DRIVE 8-11 FOOT WAVES INTO THE NEARSHORE WATERS
AND SOME OF THESE WAVES MAY RESULT IN SOME MINOR LAKE SHORE FLOODING
TO EXPOSED AREAS. IN ADDITION...BLOWING SNOW MAY BECOME A PROBLEM
ESPECIALLY IN OPEN AREAS. WETTER THAN AVERAGE SNOW...PARTICULARLY
SOUTH OF I-80 MAY HELP LIMIT THE BLOWING SNOW SOME.

DEUBELBEISS

&&

.LONG TERM...

SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY...

250 PM...FORECAST CONCERNS INCLUDE A CHANCE OF LIGHT SNOW MONDAY
AFTERNOON INTO MONDAY NIGHT AND THEN THE POTENTIAL FOR A WINTRY
MIX WEDNESDAY NIGHT.

LIGHT SNOW WILL BE ENDING ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST CWA SUNDAY EVENING
AS NORTHEAST WINDS STEADILY DIMINISH SUNDAY EVENING. LAKE EFFECT
CLOUDS AND PERHAPS A FEW FLURRIES ARE POSSIBLE SUNDAY EVENING. LOWS
BY MONDAY MORNING WILL DIP INTO THE TEENS MOST LOCATIONS BUT AS A
WEAK RIDGE PASSES ACROSS THE AREA AND WINDS BECOME LIGHT OR CALM...
LOWS COULD BE SEVERAL DEGREES COLDER DEPENDING ON CLOUD COVER.

ANOTHER WEAK CLIPPER SYSTEM MOVES SOUTHEAST ACROSS THE WESTERN
LAKES MONDAY AFTERNOON INTO MONDAY NIGHT AS IT SLOWLY BEGINS TO
WEAKEN. MODELS VARY SOME ON TIMING AND PRECIP ARRIVAL. A CONSENSUS
WOULD HAVE THE ARRIVAL DURING MONDAY AFTERNOON. INITIALLY THE
SATURATION IS DEEP ENOUGH THAT PRECIP SHOULD BEGIN AS LIGHT SNOW.
BUT INTO THE EVENING...MID LEVELS BEGIN TO DRY OUT SOME AND PRECIP
COULD TRANSITION MORE TO A LIGHT SNOW MIXED WITH OR JUST FREEZING
DRIZZLE. FAIRLY LOW CONFIDENCE AT THIS POINT...SO MAINTAINED JUST
LIGHT SNOW FOR THE ENTIRE DURATION FOR NOW.

PROGRESSIVE PATTERN BRINGS ANOTHER RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE ACROSS
THE REGION TUESDAY NIGHT INTO WEDNESDAY AND THEN ANOTHER STORM
SYSTEM WEDNESDAY NIGHT INTO THURSDAY MORNING. MODELS CURRENTLY IN
DECENT AGREEMENT WITH THE TRACK OF THIS LOW GENERALLY RIGHT ACROSS
THE CWA EARLY THURSDAY MORNING. WITH THIS TRACK...TEMPS LIKELY TO
REMAIN FAIRLY STEADY IN THE LOWER/MID 30S WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND
THERMAL PROFILES WOULD SUGGEST PRECIP WOULD BE MAINLY RAIN OR
PERHAPS FREEZING RAIN...IF SURFACE TEMPS REMAINED BELOW FREEZING.
AND ALSO COULD BE SOME SNOW IF THE LOW WERE TO SPEED UP AND/OR
TRACK FURTHER SOUTH. THUS DID NOT GET TOO SPECIFIC WITH PRECIP
TYPE WEDNESDAY NIGHT INTO THURSDAY BUT A WINTRY MIX IS POSSIBLE.
CMS

&&

.AVIATION...

//ORD AND MDW CONCERNS...UPDATED 06Z...

* MVFR/PATCHY IFR CIGS DEVELOPING PRE-DAWN.

* NORTHEAST WINDS INCREASING QUICKLY TOWARD SUNRISE...AND GUST
  NEAR 30 KT AT TIMES LATE MORNING AND AFTERNOON.

* SNOW DEVELOPING EARLY-MID MORNING...WITH MVFR VSBY LIKELY AND
  IFR AND SOME ACCUMULATION PROBABLE THROUGH MIDDAY BEFORE
  TAPERING TO LIGHT SNOW SHOWERS OR FLURRIES EARLY THIS AFTERNOON.

* MVFR CIGS THIS AFTERNOON INTO THIS EVENING.

RATZER

//DISCUSSION...UPDATED 06Z...

LOW PRESSURE OVER CENTRAL IOWA WILL MOVE SOUTHEAST ACROSS
NORTHEAST MISSOURI AND INTO SOUTHERN ILLINOIS TODAY. NORTHEAST
WINDS WILL INCREASE QUICKLY TOWARD MORNING AS THE SURFACE PRESSURE
GRADIENT TIGHTENS IN RESPONSE TO THE RAPIDLY MOVING LOW PRESSURE
SYSTEM...MAKING FOR WINDY CONDITIONS WITH SUSTAINED SPEEDS 15-20
KT AND GUSTS 25-30 KT DURING THE LATE MORNING AND AFTERNOON HOURS.
WINDS WILL GRADUALLY DIMINISH TONIGHT AS WEAK HIGH PRESSURE
APPROACHES BY MONDAY MORNING.

AN EXTENSIVE AREA OF MVFR AND PATCHY IFR STRATUS OVER
MICHIGAN/WISCONSIN AND LAKE MICHIGAN IS EXPECTED TO SPREAD BACK
ACROSS THE TERMINALS EARLY THIS MORNING AS NORTHEAST WINDS
INCREASE. SNOW CURRENTLY DEPICTED BY RADAR RETURNS OVER SOUTHERN
MINNESOTA AND NORTHERN IOWA WILL SPREAD SOUTHEAST INTO THE REGION
THIS MORNING...WITH THE BULK OF THE HEAVIER SNOW EXPECTED OFF TO
THE SOUTHWEST OF THE TERMINALS. STILL...THE MID-MORNING THROUGH
NOON HOURS SHOULD SEE THE GREATEST PROBABILITY OF MINOR
ACCUMULATIONS AND MVFR/IFR VISIBILITY IN LIGHT SNOW. SNOW SHOULD
TAPER TO LIGHT SNOW SHOWERS AND FLURRIES THIS AFTERNOON.

MVFR STRATOCU LOOKS TO LINGER INTO TONIGHT...THOUGH SHOULD BECOME
THINNER WITH TIME AS DRIER AIR IS DRAWN IN FROM THE NORTHEAST.

RATZER

//ORD AND MDW CONFIDENCE...UPDATED 06Z...

* MEDIUM IN CIG TRENDS EARLY THIS MORNING AND IN SNOW
  TIMING/IMPACT.

* HIGH IN WIND TRENDS.

* MEDIUM IN CIGS BEYOND THIS EVENING.

RATZER

//OUTLOOK FOR ORD/MDW FOR 12Z MONDAY-12Z SATURDAY...UPDATED 00Z...

MONDAY...SLIGHT CHANCE -SN IN THE AFTERNOON. MVFR POSSIBLE.

TUESDAY...MVFR CIGS POSSIBLE.

WEDNESDAY...MAINLY VFR DURING THE DAY THEN CHANCE OF -RASN AND
MVFR/IFR AT NIGHT.

THURSDAY...CHANCE OF SNOW. MVFR/IFR POSSIBLE.

FRIDAY...CHANCE OF MVFR CIGS.

IZZI

&&

.MARINE...
137 AM CST

MAIN MARINE FORECAST FOCUS CONTINUES TO BE A PERIOD OF STRONG
NORTHEAST WINDS ACROSS THE SOUTHERN 2/3 OR SO OF LAKE MICHIGAN
THROUGH THIS EVENING.

A COLD FRONT HAS PUSHED SOUTH ACROSS MUCH OF LAKE MICHIGAN SINCE
SATURDAY MORNING...WITH COLD HIGH PRESSURE SPREADING ACROSS
MANITOBA...WESTERN ONTARIO AND THE NORTHERN LAKES. EARLY THIS
MORNING AN AREA OF LOW PRESSURE WAS OVER IOWA...AND THIS LOW WILL
MOVE QUICKLY SOUTHEAST TO THE LOWER OHIO VALLEY BY THIS EVENING.
THIS LOW AND THE HIGH PRESSURE TO THE NORTH OF THE LAKES WILL
COMBINE TO RAPIDLY TIGHTEN THE SURFACE PRESSURE GRADIENT ACROSS THE
LAKE THIS MORNING...WITH NORTH-NORTHEAST WINDS INCREASING TO 25-30
KT. RECENT OBSERVATION PLATFORMS ALONG THE WEST SHORE OF THE LAKE
HAVE BEEN GUSTING 26-27 KTS BEHIND THE COLD FRONT AS FAR SOUTH AS
MILWAUKEE. THESE STRONGER WINDS WILL CONTINUE TO DEVELOP SOUTHWARD
DOWN THE REMAINDER OF THE LAKE THIS MORNING. FORECAST SOUNDINGS
INDICATE WINDS TO 30 KT WILL BE PREVALENT THROUGH THE DAY...WITH A
FEW GALE FORCE GUSTS TO 35 KT POSSIBLE. WINDS WILL REMAIN GUSTY INTO
THE EVENING HOURS ACROSS THE FAR SOUTHERN PORTION OF THE LAKE...BUT
WILL DIMINISH RAPIDLY FROM THE NORTH AS A WEAK RIDGE OF HIGH
PRESSURE SPREADS IN BEHIND THE QUICK MOVING LOW WHICH MOVE TO THE
CAROLINA COAST BY MONDAY MORNING.

THE WEAK RIDGE WILL MOVE QUICKLY SOUTHEAST OF THE LAKE MONDAY...
WITH WINDS BRIEFLY BECOMING SOUTHERLY AND INCREASING BACK AROUND 20
KT OR SO AHEAD OF ANOTHER LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WHICH WILL DROP
SOUTHEAST ACROSS THE LAKE MONDAY NIGHT...WHILE FILLING. WEAK
GRADIENT CONDITIONS WILL THEN LINGER ACROSS THE LAKE TUESDAY AND
TUESDAY NIGHT AS THE TROUGH FILLS AND A WEAK RIDGE MOVES ACROSS THE
REGION. INDICATIONS ARE THAT ANOTHER LOW WILL DEVELOP ACROSS THE
PLAINS MID-WEEK...AND WILL APPROACH THE LAKE FROM THE WEST LATE
WEDNESDAY. THIS MAY RESULT IN A BRIEF PERIOD OF ENHANCED
EAST-SOUTHEAST WINDS LATE WEDNESDAY OR WEDNESDAY NIGHT...WITH A
PERIOD OF GUSTY NORTHERLY WINDS POSSIBLE THURSDAY AS THE LOW MOVES
EAST OF THE LAKE.

FOR THE IL/NORTHWEST INDIANA NEARSHORE AREA...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY
IS IN EFFECT FROM 6 AM CST THIS MORNING AS WINDS/WAVES QUICKLY
INCREASE AND BUILD. ADVISORY HEADLINE WILL REMAIN IN EFFECT THROUGH
MID-MORNING MONDAY...AS WAVES SLOWLY SUBSIDE BELOW 4 FT.

RATZER

&&

.LOT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
IL...NONE.
IN...NONE.
LM...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY...LMZ740-LMZ741-LMZ742-LMZ743-LMZ744-
     LMZ745...6 AM SUNDAY TO 9 AM MONDAY.

&&

$$

VISIT US AT HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/CHICAGO (ALL LOWERCASE)

FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK...TWITTER...AND YOUTUBE AT:
WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/NWSCHICAGO
WWW.TWITTER.COM/NWSCHICAGO
WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/NWSCHICAGO