Chicago in for snow; heaviest blow goes south

The southern Midwest -- including Downstate Illinois and Indiana from St. Louis to Terre
Haute and Indianapolis and south -- bears the brunt of the season's latest winter storm.
But the Chicago area isn't likely to escape the system's impact completely. Flurries
may flutter earthward near Lake Michigan at times Tuesday as light winds just above the
surface shift northeast. It's not a perfect lake snow setup -- but history shows
An upper disturbance's arrival late Tuesday is to provide the primary impetus for light
snow formation later Tuesday and Tuesday night. Projected cloud temperatures suggest the
snowflakes this system spawns will be especially fluffy, posessing nearly twice the
volume of typical snowflakes. Snowfall estimates through Tuesday night include a dusting to 1
inch in northern counties near the Wisconsin line and totals ranging from 1-2 inches for
the city and surrounding suburbs. As much as 1-3 inches may fall in southern counties and
perhaps even a few spots near Lake Michigan. By comparison, 8 inches or more may occur
in the hardest hit areas of southern Indiana with potentially serious icing either side of
the Ohio River.
--Tom Skilling, Chief Meteorologist, WGN-TV/Chicago Tribune