Today’s Video:
The story today will be mild temps and dreary conditions with on and off drizzle and light rain showers for most of us. A few pockets of heavier rainfall will be possible for eastern Indiana and Ohio throughout the day given some stronger upward motion in the atmosphere here. Here’s a simulated radar loop showing this below this morning through the evening commute:
Late tonight especially after midnight some wet snow flurries/showers can work in on the backside of this low pressure system across IL. Pockets of heavier wet snow looks to cross the IL/IN border around daybreak Friday morning, but because temps will be largely at or above freezing right now we are not anticipating accumulations on pavement; most of OH all Friday sees generally light rain showers. However, as we got into Friday night and into the overnight Saturday morning, some light snow flurries to snow showers may persist mostly across IN and OH as temps also fall below freezing as well. This could cause some slick spot potential in sheltered areas that are not treated. Otherwise, the gusty winds should overall negate most of this risk area-wide. Do note, a few heavier lake effect snow bands can’t be ruled out across northern IN on and off Friday into Friday night:
We’ve highlighted an area where we think is the best risk for seeing minor grassy/elevated surface accumulations Friday night. Temps likely don’t fall below freeze until after midnight Friday night negating much risk to accumulations at the surface:
Our wave on Sunday still has some uncertainty with how much cold air available we have as well as moisture…we used the German Icon model below to illustrate the risks here. Right now we anticipate north of I-70 a possible wintry mix, south mostly has a risk for mainly light rain showers. Should also be noted temps should climb into the upper 30s to lower 40s so during the day we do not anticipate at this time accumulation risks on pavement:
We do anticipate however any residual moisture left on pavement Christmas Eve morning has the potential to refreeze on untreated surfaces:
Total precipitation over the next 84 hours is below…as we’ve stated all week, the best areas that pose the best risk at seeing ~0.5-1.0″ are eastern Indiana into Ohio…areas further west generally can see ~0.1-0.4″:
Regarding the Christmas Day forecast, the forecast models continue to go back and forth regarding wintry precipitation risks. The Euro model below shows some wintry mix is still possible while the American GFS model has more high pressure and drier conditions. Confidence is low, check back often:
High temperatures over the next 4 days: After another day of mild temperatures today, we enter a stretch of more seasonable temperatures this weekend.
Low temperatures over the next 4 nights: Back into the 20s this weekend.
Wind forecast over the next 4 days: Becoming breezy in western Illinois later today, then windy area-wide on Friday.
High/low temperatures over the next 10 days:
