18 or more inches of snow for Chi-town
Yet another major snowstorm is being predicted that could bring up to 18 inches of snow or more to Chicago and the suburbs by early Wednesday. Travel in to Chicago and the surrounding areas will be more than difficult. The air travel will certainly be effected too.
The blizzard watch was announced about midday Sunday for the entire northern Illinois and northwest Indiana area, according to National Weather Service metrologist Richard Castro.
“Based on the current information, 16-22 inches of snow could fall in the area,” said Castro said early Sunday afternoon.
As many as 18 inches or more of snow could fall near the city, he said. The snow should begin accumulating Tuesday afternoon, fall at a rate of 3 inches per hour and end by early Wednesday, he said. It will make any commute difficult with this much snow on top of what is already on the ground.
Two weather systems — strong low pressure over Texas that is moving northeast and “very strong arctic high pressure” — are to blame for the severe forecast, Castro said.
“Very strong” winds as strong as 20-30 mph, gusting up to 45 mph, are also forecast Tuesday night into early Wednesday, We will have blowing and drifting, causing blizzard or white-out conditions for a time,” Castro said.
By Wednesday afternoon, northerly winds will continue that could prolong the snow over northwest Indiana, causing some “potentially significant” lake-effect snow, Castro said.
The temperatures are expected to remain in the mid-20s for the high until Wednesday. But by Thursday, it will become “sharply colder,” with temperatures only reaching 10 degrees on Thursday, Castro said.
Castro said the last time a snowstorm of this magnitude occurred was in January 1999.
“That storm dumped 19 inches of snow to the area, Snowstorms of this potential magnitude are not very common for this part of the country, The snowfall record for this area remains the 23 inches that fell during the “infamous storm” in January 1967, said Castro
This article was written by: Dennis Micheals
