LAKE EFFECT SNOW WATCH for Chicagoland Near Lake

URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHICAGO IL
405 PM CST THU FEB 9 2012

Heaviest snow currently forecast up to 6 inches along a line from downtown Chicago to the southeast side of Chicago and along the Illinois-Indiana border. The heaviest snow is expected to be from mid-evening Friday to pre-dawn hours. North snowfall forecast? Highland Park gets snow; Highwood gets snow showers. Snow forecast shows target on City of Chicago and border suburbs, and northwest Indiana (more snow forecasts below).

 ...HEAVY LAKE EFFECT SNOW POSSIBLE FRIDAY AFTERNOON INTO
SATURDAY...

COOK-WILL-LAKE IN-PORTER-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...CHICAGO...JOLIET...GARY...VALPARAISO
405 PM CST THU FEB 9 2012



...LAKE EFFECT SNOW WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM FRIDAY AFTERNOON
THROUGH SATURDAY AFTERNOON...

* TIMING...LAKE EFFECT SNOW IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP BY EARLY FRIDAY
  AFTERNOON AND CONTINUE THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT AND SATURDAY MORNING
  BEFORE SHIFTING EAST OF THE WATCH AREA BY MID AFTERNOON
  SATURDAY. NORTH TO NORTHEAST WINDS WILL INITIALLY FOCUS THE MOST
  NUMEROUS SNOW SHOWERS ALONG THE ILLINOIS SHORE FRIDAY
  AFTERNOON...WITH THE FOCUS THEN EXPECTED TO SHIFT MORE INTO LAKE
  AND PORTER COUNTIES IN NORTHWEST INDIANA OVERNIGHT FRIDAY NIGHT.
  WINDS WILL EVENTUALLY BACK TO THE NORTHWEST ON SATURDAY...
  ALLOWING THE BANDS OF LAKE EFFECT SNOW TO MOVE EAST OF PORTER
  COUNTY IN THE EARLY AFTERNOON. THE PERIOD OF HEAVIEST LAKE
  EFFECT SNOW AND FASTEST ACCUMULATION WILL OCCUR FROM LATE
  FRIDAY AFTERNOON INTO THE PREDAWN HOURS OF SATURDAY.

* SNOW ACCUMULATIONS...WHILE LAKE EFFECT SNOW CAN BE HIGHLY
  LOCALIZED...CURRENT FORECASTS ARE FOR TOTAL ACCUMULATIONS FROM 3
  TO 5 INCHES IN FAR NORTHEAST COOK COUNTY...4 TO 7 INCHES ACROSS
  DOWNTOWN CHICAGO AND THE SOUTH SUBURBS...WITH 5 TO 8 INCHES FROM
  THE FAR SOUTHEAST SIDE OF CHICAGO EAST ACROSS NORTHERN LAKE AND
  PORTER COUNTIES OF NORTHWEST INDIANA.

* OTHER IMPACTS...SLIPPERY SNOW COVERED ROADS...REDUCED VISIBILITY
  SEVERELY LIMITED IN THE HEAVIEST LAKE EFFECT SNOW BANDS...
  BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW...AND SINGLE DIGIT WIND CHILLS.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A LAKE EFFECT SNOW WATCH MEANS THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR A LARGE
AMOUNT OF SNOW IN ONLY A FEW HOURS. VISIBILITIES AND DEPTH OF
SNOW CAN VARY GREATLY...IMPACTING TRAVEL SIGNIFICANTLY. CONTINUE
TO MONITOR THE LATEST FORECASTS.

SNOW FORECAST FOR AREAS AROUND CHICAGO ...
Forecast amount east, north and south of Arlington Heights as of 5:30 p.m. Thursday, February 09, 2012 ...

Arlington Heights ... snow showers
Buffalo Grove ... snow showers
Bedford Park ... 3-6 inches
Calumet City ... 4-8 inches

CHICAGO ...
THE CIRCLE I-90/94-I290 ...4-8 inches
THE SPLIT I-90-I94 ... 3-7 inches
SOLDIER FIELD ... 4-8 inches
O'HARE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT ... snow showers
MIDWAY INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT ... 3-7 inches

Cicero ... 3-7 inches
Deerfield ... snow showers
Des Plaines ... snow showers
Evanston ... 4-8 inches
Evergreen Park ... 4-8 inches

GARY, IN ... 5-9 inches

Glenview ... 2-6 inches
Golf ... 3-7 inches
Highland Park ... 2-6 inches
Highwood ... snow showers
Joliet ... snow showers
Lake Forest ... snow showers
Lincolnwood ... 3-7 inches
Naperville ... snow showers
Northbrook ... 2-6 inches
Orland Park ... snow showers
Park Ridge ... 2-6 inches
Skokie ... 3-7 inches
Summit ... snow showers
Vernon Hills ... snow showers