With daily highs consistently above freezing, gusty evaporative winds, a good chance of snow-eating rains—especially late in the week—and a melt from soil warmth below; it’s only a matter of time before the snow cover over the area disappears. The melt will be slow the first part of the week, but a major storm is expected to develop in the central Plains midweek and move northeast. Strong southerly winds importing moisture-laden air from the Gulf of Mexico are forecast to lift over a warm front and create a steady rain over northern Illinois Friday.
Heavier showers and possible thunderstorms Saturday should just about finish off the snow cover. However, the warmer temperatures will also melt ice in area rivers and create ice jams which, combined with an inch or more of rain and heavy runoff due to the melting snowpack, set the stage for potential flooding.
Meanwhile, Florida farmers continue to fight freezing nighttime temperatures.
--By Paul Dailey, 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.
