The Midwest will see two storm systems move through during the next several days. The systems are being brought in from the Pacific as the upper level flow changes from a cold northwest to southeast earlier in the week to milder southwest to northeast direction this weekend. The first system is currently moving through the Midwest today with snow north and rain south as Gulf moisure is being pulled north into the system. The graphic shows the NAM model position as of 6:00 p.m. CST with the 3 hour precipitation max right over the Chicago metro area.
For the Chicago metro area a real mixed bag of precipitation. Early this morning light freezing rain glazed the area. By midmorning surface temperatures had risen to above freezing, so just rain was falling over the area. However, during the afternoon the rain will be changing to wet snow slowly from north to south. As of noon that changeover had already begun in areas just south of the Wisconsin border. Waukegan was already reporting moderate snow at noon.
By 6:00 p.m. CST this evening the rain/snow line is expected to be from just south of Aurora to just south of O'hare east to the lake. By 9:00 p.m. the line will have moved through the southern suburbs. Total snow amounts will be quite varied through the metro area. Amounts will range from a slushly accumulation of less than an inch south suburbs to 3-5 inches far north suburbs with highest amounts in northeast Illinois just south of the Wisconsin border. For the city it will translate to less than a slushly inch south side to 2 inches far north side.
Friday and Saturday will see some of this new snow melt as highs will be in the middle 30s. For Sunday a very intense storm will develop over the Plains. The low will move from eastern Colorado Saturday afternoon to northwest Wisconsin by Monday morning. For the Chicago metro area it means rain and possible thunderstorms Sunday afternoon and night. Highs will jump well into the 40s during Sunday, with 50s just south of the area.
All of this while the New England area is blasted with a huge Nor'easter. During the next 24 hours the Midwest system will combine with another system moving up the southeast coast. Explosive deepening will occur just offshore. The Boston area and eastern New England are expecting blizzard conditions with snow amounts of 18-24 inchs as winds gust to near 70 mph.
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