Weather System Set to Hit Thursday

WHAT COULD BE A SIGNIFICANT WEATHER SYSTEM IS EXPECTED IN OUR AREA THURSDAY.  HERE'S THE OUTLOOK FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE IN LINCOLN, ILLINOIS:

LOW PRESSURE IS FORECAST TO PUSH OUT OF OKLAHOMA PANHANDLE THURSDAY MORNING AND THEN TURN NORTHEAST INTO EASTERN IOWA BY MIDDAY FRIDAY. THIS WILL DEVELOP SNOW INTO CENTRAL ILLINOIS DURING THURSDAY. THE SNOW WILL OVERSPREAD ALL OF THE AREA BY EARLY THURSDAY AFTERNOON BEFORE BECOMING MIXED WITH SLEET AND FREEZING RAIN LATE IN THE DAY...ESPECIALLY ALONG AND SOUTH OF I-70. MIXED PRECIPITATION WILL LIKELY CONTINUE THURSDAY EVENING WITH MAINLY SNOW NORTH OF I-74 AND FREEZING RAIN AND SLEET ALSO POSSIBLE SOUTH OF I-74. THE MIXED PRECIPITATION WILL TAPER OFF TO MORE OF A FREEZING DRIZZLE OR VERY LIGHT SNOW COMBINATION LATER THURSDAY NIGHT. CURRENT INDICATIONS SUGGEST THE POTENTIAL FOR 3 TO 5 INCHES OF SNOW...ESPECIALLY ALONG AND NORTH OF I-72...WITH HEAVIER SNOWFALL AMOUNTS LIKELY WEST OF ILLINOIS.

EVEN THOUGH THE STEADY SNOWFALL IS EXPECTED TO TAPER OFF OVERNIGHT THURSDAY NIGHT...THERE COULD BE AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF LIGHT FREEZING RAIN OR DRIZZLE OVERNIGHT THURSDAY INTO EARLY FRIDAY MORNING AS TEMPERATURES SLOWLY MODERATE DURING THURSDAY NIGHT. MOST AREAS ARE EXPECTED TO REMAIN BELOW FREEZING OVERNIGHT WITH ONLY FAR SOUTHEAST ILLINOIS NEAR LAWRENCEVILLE SEEING THE MERCURY NEAR OR JUST ABOVE THE FREEZING MARK THROUGH EARLY FRIDAY MORNING. AT THIS POINT...ICE ACCUMULATIONS COULD RANGE FROM ONE TO TWO TENTHS FROM I-72 SOUTH WITH HIGHER AMOUNTS POSSIBLE IN SOUTHWEST ILLINOIS WHERE
WINTER STORM WATCHES ARE POSTED THURSDAY.

IF YOU HAVE PLANS ON TRAVELING ANYWHERE ACROSS THE MIDWEST THURSDAY INTO FRIDAY MORNING ESPECIALLY WEST OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER...YOU SHOULD KEEP UP TO DATE WITH THE LATEST INFORMATION ON THIS DEVELOPING WINTER STORM. THE COMBINATION OF SNOW AND ICE ON AREA ROADWAYS WILL MAKE FOR HAZARDOUS DRIVING CONDITIONS ON UNTREATED ROADS.