More snow and cold—then big changes next week

Another low pressure “Alberta Clipper” system is headed this way out of the Dakotas. It should pass through Illinois tonight and early Saturday depositing a new 1 to 3-inch layer of snow over northeast Illinois. The last in a long series of almost continuous cold air surges out of Canada will follow, holding Sunday’s high temperatures in the teens with gusty northwest winds producing sub-zero wind chills once again. However a major shift in the jet stream is expected early next week with a west-east flow pattern expected to evolve over the United States, confining arctic air to central and northern Canada. A warming southerly flow will finally work it’s way back into the Midwest producing rain ahead of an approaching cold front later Monday and Tuesday. Despite very strong south winds, the extensive snow cover will hold temps in the low to mid 30s; however once rain is added to the mix, snows should melt quickly and rivers swell. --By Paul Dailey, WGN Weather Center Meteorologist