Wintry Mix of Precipitation This Afternoon into Tonight

Total snow and ice accumulations. Click images to enlarge

An abrupt change in the weather will occur this afternoon and evening, as a strong cold front pushes across the area. Temperatures in the 50s will fall into the 20s in just a few hours. This will take place west of I-55 during the mid to late afternoon hours, and in east central and southeast Illinois during the evening.

As the cold air plows through, warmer air will linger for a few hours around 3,000 feet above the ground. This will result in rain switching to a mixture of freezing rain and sleet, before changing to snow. East of I-57, this won't take place until mid to late evening, but this mixture is expected to linger for a longer period of time, through Friday morning. Across this area, ice accumulations will generally be less than a tenth inch, though higher south of I-70, followed by snow accumulations of 1 to 2 inches.

Further west, accumulations of snow and ice west of I-55 will be minimal as the precipitation will end much quicker. However, in this area, the rapid temperature drop will result in some icy roads and sidewalks, as the wet pavement freezes before it gets a chance to dry off.

If you have travel plans this afternoon and night, be prepared for this sudden change, and allow for extra time to reach your destination.