MONDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2010

Greetings to you on this Monday.  The sun is shining right now...hard to believe a winter storm is approaching.  But, it is.  At 9pm tonight, a WINTER STORM WARNING will go into effect for a good chunk of the ABC7 viewing area.  I took a look at two other three-day snow storms we have had this season.

December 7-9, 2009, we measured 6.3" of snow at O'Hare.

January 6-8, 2010, we measured 7.5" of snow at O'Hare.

At O'Hare, this "three-day storm" total is expected to be higher.  Widespread amounts throughout Chicago will be anywhere between 7 and 12".  This is not a storm to rival that of the mid-atlantic storm this past weekend, but this is a healthy storm which will be an inconvenience for those of you who have places to go and people to see!  Just be careful as you are trying to navigate thru another Chicago snow "event." 

Tracy

Gas up the snowblowers

The last time we had a significant snowfall area-wide was January 7-8.  Now, almost exactly a month later, a major winter storm is taking shape which could dump 6"+ for Chicagoland.  Two storm systems are approaching... one from the northwest, the other from the southwest.  Eventually, the two will merge into another east coast monster, hitting areas from DC northward around midweek. The heaviest snows will be farther north than the last storm which broke records in DC, Philly, Pittsburgh and Baltimore.  Before the complete merger, we will taste a partial phasing of the storms.  Snow should break out in earnest tomorrow night, and continue at varying intensities into Wednesday morning.  The long-duration event will tap into lake moisture which will likely enhance the snowfall, especially late Tuesday. 6"-10" seem highly likely across the board.  There is a way out of the heaviest snowfall, if the southern stream Low pressure area robs a big slug of moisture from the northern wave.  There is conversely a possibility that the lake could ramp up the snow totals in Cook and Lake Counties to more than a foot.  Due to the relative certainty of significant snowfall, a winter storm watch has been hoisted starting late tomorrow night.  It will likely be upgraded to a warning or changed to an advisory Monday.  Travel will be impacted Tuesday and Wednesday morning as it looks now. Following the storm, arctic air will settle into the region providing a week of cold at least. 

Mike

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2010

We're dodging another major winter storm this weekend. As sections of the east could pick up almost two feet of snow today, the most additional snow we will pick up would be a few passing flurries. Our main weather story will be clouds and windy conditions. Our NE winds could gust today to 30 mph at times. Expect highs around 30 degrees. On Sunday, much of the same--clouds with chances of flurries but not as windy. Snow could greet us again early in the week with chances starting Monday night through Tuesday. The cold blast will stay as highs the rest of the week should only top in the mid to upper 20s. Our best chance of seeing a glances of sunshine will be Thursday and Friday. Have a great weekend everyone! Stay warm! MARK BISHOP

Snow is Slow to Go

Dry air close to the surface courtesy of easterly winds is inhibiting the snow as of early afternoon.  Our forecast of bringing the snow in by late afternoon appears to be panning out just fine consequently. Once the atmospheric column saturates top-down, the snow will increase and begin to stick.  It still looks like a 1"-3" deal, with the heaviest amounts falling well south of I-80.  Most of us will get something on the order of an inch out of this, as the major storm takes aim on millions of people in the Mid-Atlantic.  Baltimore and D.C. could get 2 feet out of this with blizzard conditions due to strengthening winds.  Back here, I'm still keeping the lake-effect card on the table for the IL side tomorrow. The temperature profile between the lake and air overhead isn't ideal for optimum snow production, but some minor accumulations could occur Saturday.  A stronger system looms for the Monday night/Tuesday time frame.  At this range, it looks like a 3"-6" affair, but stay tuned to Phil over the weekend for the very latest on the ABC-7 Mothership!

Mike

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2010

Good morning....

It sure is taking it's good, ol' sweet time, but the light snow will begin in Chicago just as the afternoon commute is getting underway.  All total by tomorrow morning we will have a fresh covering of 1-2" of snow.  If you are south of I-80, most likely you will pick up 2-4" of snow. 

But it really is a big snowstorm that will make news in Washington D.C. this weekend.  The annual average snowfall there is 16" but this weekend's storm could bring 18-24" to that area in just one "event!"  Now that's a snowstorm which may make history there!

Our next chance of a more significant snow could be headed our way Monday into Tuesday of early next week.  We will keep you posted!  Have a nice weekend.

Tracy

Murky

The stagnant air remains in place, which is why it looks so dingy. Just like yesterday, an Air Pollution Action day has been declared by the Illinois EPA, so if you have respiratory difficulties, you may be affected by the murky air.  Temperatures should nudge just above freezing in most of Chicagoland.  Tomorrow, light snow will break out, depositing minor accumulation of 1" to 3".  Right now, I'm leaning more toward the 1" side, but the possible wild card we've been mentioning all week is lake-effect snow on the back side of the system.  Those showers could add some additional totals on the Illinois side of the lake over the weekend.  Still looks like temps tumble next week to well-below normal levels.

Mike

Warmer tomorrow, snow risk Friday

As of early afternoon, clouds remain rather pesky over much of Lake and Cook counties.  Elsewhere, more sunshine is breaking through the murkiness.  Of interest is the declaration of an Air Pollution Action Day by the Illinois EPA today and tomorrow. The air is rather stagnant, and with an inversion (air gets warmer as you go higher) in place, pollutants can be trapped close to the ground.  Tomorrow I expect the mercury to climb well above freezing area-wide.  Those of you with little or snow on the ground could near 40, while readings elsewhere will move into the mid 30s.  Then there's Friday.  Two storm systems are approaching from the west... one coming out of the Rockies, the other will be moving toward the Gulf of Mexico.  Eventually, the two will phase and create another headline-grabbing snowstorm for the Mid-Atlantic.  For us, it looks like a much smaller event.  Right now, I'm leaning toward a 2-4" snowfall, with areas south of Chicago in line for the highest amounts.  This would occur on Friday, with some potential for another Illinois lake-effect burst on Saturday.  A progressive step down in temperatures will follow the snowfall.  It could get quite cold here by the middle of next week, especially if another "maybe" snowstorm hits Monday.

Mike

WEDNESDAY, FEBURARY 3, 2010

Greetings on this cloudy day. Clouds will give way to some sun especially well west of the city today, although later this afternoon, some sun may be visible here too! 

 Yesterday most reports of snowfall were between 1.5 and 2.5" of accumulation.  Our next snowy system arrives on Friday and there will be some accumulation in the area.  Right now it appears that snow would begin here Friday afternoon with some of the higher amounts headed for the southern suburbs.  We will keep you posted.

Meanwhile, if you have any travel plans to the mid-atlantic this weekend (places like Washington D.C., Richmond, Norfolk, Baltimore) watch the weather.  Turns out they could be in for another "whopper" of a snowstorm for the second weekend in a row!

Tracy

Snow winding down

As expected, this morning's snow came in the 1" to 2" range for most of Chicagoland.  O'Hare ended up with 1.7" and Midway 1.1".  A few flurries may fly tonight, but accumulating snows are over.  Now my attention is on the next storm system and the ensuing chances of a shot of cold air in its wake.  A storm will move in from the Pacific and take the southern track, placing us on its northern edge by Friday.  At this point, it looks like the worst of the storm will pass to our south, but a few inches could accumulate late Friday into Saturday.  Behind that storm, arctic air will likely be drawn to the south.  Yesterday, long-range computer models forecasted highs in the 30s through the weekend into early next week.  I thought it would be colder, and now the models are trending downward as well. As this same storm moves to the east, another healthy dose of snow will cream parts of the Mid-Atlantic including D.C.  In fact, the nation's capital, enduring its second winter storm in four days today, will see a foot or so of snow with this storm Saturday.  As a wise woochuck recently opined, winter is far from over, folks!

Mike

January summary and early February musings

The numbers are in for January. Temperatures were 0.07° colder than normal and snowfall (9.1") was 2.2" less than normal.  Last January as you'll recall we had nearly two feet of snowfall (21.5").  Now we enter February with a minor disturbance closing in from the west.  A light dusting of snow already moved through the far northern suburbs this morning but more is on the way.  Starting close to midnight give or take, snow will break out, depositing 1" to 2" before tapering off tomorrow around lunchtime.  The heaviest amounts will be favored for the far NW burbs, with much less south of I-80.  Then the big question (for me anyway) is what will the rest of the month look like here?  NOAA seems to favor a warm month here, but then again, they've been hitched to the El Nino wagon since before winter began... insisting we'd have a warmer-than-normal winter.  I am still leaning toward the camp that has banked on other global signals which predicted a colder-than-normal winter here.  There are signs of a major cold outbreak hitting before mid month.  But this week should feature "normal" temperatures and very little chance of a major winter storm here.

Mike