Winter Storm Watches are in effect for the entire 13WREX viewing area for Sunday and Monday. I anticipate these to be transitioned into warnings tomorrow morning/afternoon. Blizzard conditions will be possible across Eastern Iowa and SW Wisconsin Sunday.While snowfall accumulations will have a high impact, it's important to mention that for Rockford 30-40% of this storm will yield liquid precipitation (either rain and freezing rain).
Precip will start around Midnight Saturday night in the form of freezing rain or sleet. Up to 1/4 inch of ice accumulation will be possible Sunday morning before temperatures rise above freezing for a short time during the late-morning hours. As low pressure begins retreating to the east over Indiana Sunday afternoon, cold air will wrap in. As we fall below freezing, there should be a 6-8 hour window of snowfall. Around six inches can be expected here in the Rockford area Sunday night into Monday morning. Higher amounts are possible if the freezing rain/rain scenario doesn't pan out as forecast. Likewise, lower snowfall can be anticipated if precip stays liquid longer. Areas west of the Mississippi River and Madison should see mainly snow, hence the forecast for 12"+. Most of Chicagoland will be spared with only nuisance snows.
Anyone with travel plans for Sunday/Monday should continue to monitor this forecast as it still remains changeable. -ERIC
9 comments:
Eric, I bet that come Sunday evening or Monday morning JasonG and AdamP will be asking people to send in snow & ice reports.
Maybe this would be a good time for a little mini-lesson on "How To Measure" mixed gloppy precip like we're expecting.
I think its a real challenge to get an accurate measurement of gloppy mixed precip like this, especially for those of us who don't have fancy gauges, etc., to measure it with.
Helpful tips gratefully accepted! That way your viewers/bloggers can be prepared to send you better data too after the storm hits.
Thx.
Here's my "lo-tech" (cheap) precip measuring equipment ... I don't know if it would pass muster for official professional readings but it works (usually). :)
Maybe you (or other folks) have some better suggestions?
Rain: I nailed a plastic 2 qt kool-aid pitcher to a cheap wooden TV tray. Advantages: my dogs don't knock it over and it has high enough sides so the wind doesn't slosh the rain out of the thing. Its also easy to tip over and empty it after the rain is measured. Disadvantages: Only works when we get at least 1/4 inch of rain or more; not very good for measuring small amounts. (I think I may actually invest in a real rain gauge one of these days. Its on my list for the next paycheck surplus.)
Reasonable snow (12" or less, not blowing around too much: I put a flat baking sheet inside a pillowcase (so its not extra slippery and the snow doesn't all slide/blow off it) and stick it in a flat spot in my yard BEFORE it starts snowing; put a chickenwire cone around it so my dogs don't walk on it. When it stops snowing I stick a ruler down & measure it.
Ridiculous snow (like the 20 inches we got last week): I measure it by sticking a broom handle into the snow until it hits the ground, mark the depth of the snow with a crayon and then pull it out and measure from there to the end of the broom handle with a tape measure.
I never can figure how to measure rain-changing-to-snow because when its doing both for a while it seems like both the rain & the snow measurements are wrong.
Thanks weather buff! We're going to have to make you a guest blogger if you keep coming up with good stuff like that!
Have a great weekend! -ERIC
Eric, you have a great weekend also, and god bless the families of the victims of NIU. They will not be forgotten.
Well sounds like now, we are going to miss the heavy snow as the low sounds like it as gone even further westward.
Eric, do you see anything in the extended forecast, that will change this weather pattern we are in of snow every other day.
Thanks George
kinda off topic... but how are the river levels doing? has the ice jam problem been relieved, or has the flooding dropped at all? I haven't heard anything lately, I might of missed it though. :)
george: We really haven't focused too much on the extended as we're in the midst of another major storm.
jim: Not off topic at all! Rivers are frozen over...quite solid, actually. We have a potential to receive up to 2 inches of liquid precip tonight through Sunday afternoon. With 15-20 inches of snow on the ground, some flooding is expected. A Flood Watch has been issued for the Rockford metro (pretty unusual with this much snow on the ground). Rivers could rise rapidly, especially around ice jams near bridges and turns.
Justin Gehrts will be updating the blog and have the latest on 13News tonight at 6 and 10. -ERIC
Are we still going to see snow, or just ice and rain now?
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