Mild then stormy then cold

Today and tomorrow are going to be mild. Temps will be 15-20 degrees above normal, peaking in the 40s or low 50s. Tomorrow will be wet with passing showers most of the day.

Monday temps will retreat but remain above normal as a storm approaches from the west. From this distance we know that a powerhouse storm is likely in the region but details are pending. It looks like areas to our west and north could be in line for a major winter storm Monday night into Tuesday but it wouldn't take much to alter that outlook as we get closer.

Temps behind the storm look below normal. The mid-range models are keeping cold air in here through Valentine's Day.

light snow + brief thaw + possible storm + possible cold

Light snow is spreading across the area. Accumulations will be very light (maybe an inch before sunset, at most a couple of inches by midnight) but given that temps are very cold and it will be snowing during rush hour it would be wise to expect some travel disruptions. 

Beginning Wednesday into Thursday temps will moderate, likely breaking freezing and approaching 40F. Rain moves in Friday into Saturday in what looks like a potent storm -- the key question will be the temperature profile. It looks like rain for now but a switch to snow is possible. 

In the mid-range forecast there is a chance of another shot of cold air next week. This is very tentative,but this model has been good and it would fit with the storm preceding it. Stay tuned on both. 

snow then cold

We're under a Winter Weather Advisory for some snow this afternoon into the overnight hours. The heaviest snow will be in a narrow band to our SE -- there was some uncertainty overnight as to the exact track but it does look like we're only going to get sideswiped in Chicago. The most likely situation is an inch or two this afternoon/evening and another inch or two overnight for areas from the southern suburbs into the city. Amounts will be light to the north and west, so the north side of the city, northern burbs and far western burbs may only see an inch or less total. Some lake enhancement is possible along the lake (especially SE Chicago toward the IN border) so 4-6" is possible there. 

The snow this afternoon and tonight will be heavy and wet due to temps in the low 30s. It could also fall heavily at times, dropping visibility to low levels. Roads and airports will be affected. 

The snow should end by daybreak Sunday. It will be windy though, and temps will drop through the day. Another shot of snow arrives Monday -- it will be light but potentially disruptive to the evening commute. 

Behind that will be some cold air. It will be nothing like recent winters' cold outbreaks but it will still be much colder than anything we've had yet this season. Highs will be in the teens Sun-Wed, but beyond that the pattern moderates. There are no extended cold-air invasions on the immediate horizon beyond midweek.