WINTER STORM WATCH FROM WOODSTOCK, IL TO VALPARAISO, IN

URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHICAGO IL
839 PM CST WED FEB 22 2012

...POTENTIAL FOR HEAVY WET SNOW ACROSS NORTHERN ILLINOIS AND
NORTHWEST INDIANA THURSDAY EVENING INTO EARLY FRIDAY MORNING...

.A DEVELOPING STORM SYSTEM WILL MOVE SOUTHEAST ACROSS THE PLAINS
INTO MISSOURI AND ILLINOIS THURSDAY AND THURSDAY NIGHT.
PRECIPITATION...MAINLY IN THE FORM OF RAIN...IS EXPECTED TO
DEVELOP AHEAD OF THE SYSTEM ACROSS CENTRAL AND NORTHERN ILLINOIS
AND NORTHWEST INDIANA DURING THE DAY THURSDAY...BUT AS THE STORM
SYSTEM DEEPENS OVER THE AREA LATE THURSDAY RAIN IS EXPECTED TO
CHANGE QUICKLY TO WET SNOW AND MAY BECOME HEAVY AT TIMES. SNOWFALL
RATES MAY EXCEED AN INCH PER HOUR IN SOME LOCATIONS WITHIN THE
WATCH AREA FOR A FEW HOURS...PARTICULARLY THURSDAY EVENING. THE
STORM SYSTEM WILL MOVE EAST OF THE AREA EARLY FRIDAY...THOUGH
SNOW SHOWERS MAY LINGER THROUGH MIDDAY ESPECIALLY ACROSS NORTHWEST
INDIANA.

MCHENRY-LAKE IL-KANE-DUPAGE-COOK-KENDALL-GRUNDY-WILL-LAKE IN-
PORTER-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...WOODSTOCK...WAUKEGAN...AURORA...
WHEATON...CHICAGO...OSWEGO...MORRIS...JOLIET...GARY...VALPARAISO
839 PM CST WED FEB 22 2012



...WINTER STORM WATCH IN EFFECT FROM THURSDAY EVENING THROUGH
FRIDAY MORNING...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN CHICAGO HAS ISSUED A WINTER STORM
WATCH...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM THURSDAY EVENING THROUGH FRIDAY
MORNING.

* TIMING...RAIN IS EXPECTED TO CHANGE TO WET SNOW ACROSS NORTHERN
  ILLINOIS TOWARD EVENING THURSDAY...AND BY EARLY EVENING ACROSS
  NORTHWEST INDIANA. SNOW MAY BECOME HEAVY AT TIMES PARTICULARLY
  DURING THE EVENING HOURS...BEFORE GRADUALLY TAPERING OFF FROM
  WEST TO EAST LATE THURSDAY NIGHT INTO EARLY FRIDAY MORNING.

* MAIN IMPACT...HEAVY WET SNOW MAY FALL AT RATES GREATER THAN AN
  INCH PER HOUR THURSDAY EVENING. THIS WILL LIKELY RESULT IN QUICK
  ACCUMULATION OF WET SNOW ON ROADS...RESULTING IN SLIPPERY AND
  POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS TRAVEL CONDITIONS.

* OTHER IMPACTS...IN ADDITION TO ACCUMULATION AND SLIPPERY TRAVEL
  IMPACTS...STRONG WINDS WILL RESULT IN WIND WHIPPED HEAVY WET
  SNOW CAUSING SEVERELY REDUCED VISIBILITIES THURSDAY EVENING.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A WINTER STORM WATCH MEANS THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR SIGNIFICANT
SNOW...SLEET...OR ICE ACCUMULATIONS THAT MAY IMPACT TRAVEL.
CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE LATEST FORECASTS.

&&

$$

RATZER