A weak low pressure system gathering strength in the Texas Panhandle is headed eastward. Already, the system is tapping a large pool of moisture overspreading the Gulf Coast states. Three-day rainfall ending Sunday totaled 6 inches in the Dallas area—in some cases more than doubling the year-to-date total in the ongoing drought.
The storm track up the Ohio River lies along the southern edge of the arctic air and keeps system snowfall south of Chicago, with only flurries expected in all but the far southern suburbs. In west-central Illinois, over 12 inches of snow are forecast Monday night into Tuesday.
In the wake of the storm, winds turn north and a new surge of chilly high pressure settles in from Canada. This air mass is colder than previous ones, but late-March sunshine moderates temperatures by next weekend. Thereafter, the chilly pattern finally breaks down, replaced by milder Pacific weather systems.
--Dennis Haller, WGN Weather Center Meteorologist
WGN-TV Chief Meteorologist Tom Skilling and the WGN Weather Center staff provide daily coverage of weather in the Chicago area.
