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Late-day blast of wintry weather could slow down evening travel

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12:29 pm Weather Now
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IMAGE CURRENT AS OF NOON THU.: A wintry mix gives way to a transition to snow by Thursday evening's commute.
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IMAGE CURRENT AS OF NOON THU.: Snow begins to wind down by late Thursday evening, with intermittent snow showers into early Friday.
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IMAGE CURRENT AS OF NOON THU.: A flurry or two are possible into early Friday.

ROCKFORD (WREX) — Old man winter is going to give us a reminder that he's still in charge for the time being. A wintry mix of rain, sleet, and accumulating snow is soon to come.

A winter weather advisory is in effect for far northwest Illinois, including Stephenson, Jo Daviess, and Carroll Counties.

Thursday afternoon: Precipitation moves in across north-central Illinois just in time for midday. This is going to start as either a chilly rain or possibly a mix of rain and wet snowflakes. Temperatures will be on the mild side, with highs generally topping out in the upper-30s.

As precipitation moves in, an eventual transition to all snow is expected by the afternoon. Snow could be heavy at times, reducing visibility and leading to quickly deteriorating road conditions.

Thursday evening: The evening commute is going to be tricky, with slick spots likely, especially northwest of Rockford. Regardless, temperatures look to hover right around freezing. This could limit or slow the amount of widespread slick roads across northern Illinois. Despite that, any travel plans Thursday night into Friday should be done with extra caution.

Friday morning: A few flurries continue through early Friday, but accumulating snow potential looks to be minimal. Plan for at least slower commute times early Friday, as slick spots are still possible.

Friday afternoon: Scattered snow showers look to re-develop off-and-on through the second half of Friday. Accumulating snow here does look possible, but remains generally under an inch.

Friday evening: Snow becomes less scattered in nature and more isolated overnight Friday into early Saturday.

Bottom line:

Snow moves in for the end of the week, but sleet might mix in initially.
  • Slick roads are expected Thursday afternoon into early Friday morning.
  • Accumulations of 1" to 3" are likely in Rockford, with northwest Illinois potentially seeing a bit more. Some sleet could mix in, especially at the onset of precipitation Thursday afternoon.

Justin Ballard

Justin Ballard joined 13 WREX as the weekday morning meteorologist. He’s a proud graduate of UNC-Charlotte and happy to call Rockford home.

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