Winter Storm Warning In Effect Until 11am: Storm Impact Diminished; 2.5 Inches At 4:30 Am, Another 0.7 Expected

Chicagoland weather radar shows precipitation is east of northwest Cook County and about half of DuPage County as of 6:30 a.m.

An approaching Winter Storm got a late start last night and is possibly going to have less impact then initially forecast. NWS forecasters have already moved up the expiration time in Arlington Heights from 1:00 p.m. to 11:00 a.m. There is also the possibility the Winter Storm Warning will expire before 11:00 a.m.

Bottom line? 1) Less snow has accumulated than expected, and 2) winds may not cause the blowing snow that was expected.

Winds have caused some trouble with power lines in the area. About 54 customers were reported without power in Deerfield, about 94 customer were reported without power in Schaumburg, and about 73 customers were reported with out power in Des Plaines at 4:40 a.m.

As of 4:30 a.m. 2.5 inches of snow had accumulated in Arlington Heights overnight.

Very little additional snow is expected as the radar shows the precipitation is clearing the area.

Significant weather news is a wind chill down to 9 degrees by noon Wednesday, and as low as 5 degrees Thursday at 7:00 a.m.

Winter Storm Warning is in effect until March 12, 11:00 AM CDT

URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHICAGO IL
334 AM CDT WED MAR 12 2014

...MODERATE TO HEAVY SNOW THROUGH SUNRISE...

ILZ013-014-020>023-INZ001-002-121600-
/O.EXT.KLOT.WS.W.0006.000000T0000Z-140312T1600Z/
DUPAGE-COOK-KENDALL-GRUNDY-WILL-KANKAKEE-LAKE IN-PORTER-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...WHEATON...CHICAGO...OSWEGO...MORRIS...
JOLIET...KANKAKEE...GARY...VALPARAISO
334 AM CDT WED MAR 12 2014

...WINTER STORM WARNING NOW IN EFFECT UNTIL 11 AM CDT THIS
MORNING...

* TIMING...MODERATE TO AT TIMES HEAVY SNOWFALL WILL PERSIST
THROUGH SUNRISE BEFORE ENDING SOON AFTER.

* SNOW RATES...UP TO ONE INCH PER HOUR THROUGH SUNRISE. (Probably before sunrise)

* TOTAL SNOW ACCUMULATIONS...3 TO 6 INCHES BY EARLY THIS MORNING.

* MAIN IMPACTS...PERIODS OF MODERATE TO HEAVY SNOW...COMBINED WITH
NORTHERLY WINDS OF 20 TO 25 MPH AND GUSTS TO 35 MPH THROUGH
SUNRISE...WILL LEAD TO GREATLY REDUCED VISIBILITY. TRAVEL WILL
REMAIN TREACHEROUS INTO THE MORNING COMMUTE DUE TO SNOW COVERED
ROADS FROM HEAVY RATES OVERNIGHT AND PATCHY BLOWING SNOW.

* OTHER IMPACTS...TRAVEL IN AND OUT OF OHARE AND MIDWAY AIRPORTS
WILL LIKELY BE ADVERSELY IMPACTED EARLY THIS MORNING.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A WINTER STORM WARNING FOR HEAVY SNOW MEANS SEVERE WINTER WEATHER
CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED OR OCCURRING. SIGNIFICANT IMPACTS OF SNOW
AND BLOWING SNOW ARE FORECAST THAT WILL MAKE TRAVEL DANGEROUS.
IF YOU MUST TRAVEL...KEEP AN EXTRA FLASHLIGHT...FOOD...AND WATER
IN YOUR VEHICLE IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY.


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Winter storm warning, Arlington Heights Weather forecast, snow forecast