What to Know
- A Winter Weather Advisory has been issued for McHenry, DeKalb, and LaSalle counties in Illinois.
- A Wind Advisory is also in effect for most of the area, with wind gusts up to 50 MPH possible.
- "Flash freezing" of road surfaces could occur as temperatures rapidly drop.
The National Weather Service is warning of the possibility of “flash freezing” of roadways as cold air moves into the area.
A Winter Weather Advisory has been issued for McHenry, DeKalb, and LaSalle counties in Illinois beginning on Thursday evening and lasting into Friday. According to the NWS, light mixed precipitation is expected in the early afternoon hours, and then winds will pick up, gusting to 45 to 50 MPH at times in the evening and overnight hours.
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That combination could cause a rapid freezing-over of road surfaces, especially those that are untreated or elevated.
Wind chills are also expected to drop to around 20 below zero in those locations.
Power outages are also possible, as high winds could take down iced-over tree branches that have been impacted by the recent freezing rain episodes that have taken place throughout the area.
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The National Weather Service has also issued a Wind Advisory for most of northeast Illinois beginning at 5 p.m. Thursday and lasting through 3 a.m. Friday. High winds, gusting up to 50 MPH, could cause minor tree damage, and the rapidly cooling air could freeze moisture on elevated roadways in the affected areas.
Wind chills could drop as low as 10 degrees below zero, according to forecasts.
The forecast for Friday isn’t much better, as high temperatures will only rise into the teens for most of the area. The weekend will see a bit of a warm-up, but then snow showers are expected early next week.
