Heavy snows to the north Saturday, brief "warm-up" expected midweek

Low pressure passed well to the north of Chicago on Saturday, minimizing the fine light
snow that fell over northeast Illinois. The low center tracked further north than Friday
forecasts anticipated, and as a result the heaviest accumulating snowfall occurred along
the low center track through northern Wisconsin into central Lower Michigan. Three to
five inches of snow fell over northeastern Wisconsin and then the low intensified as it
passed over Lake Michigan into central Lower Michigan. Winter storm advisories and warnings
were in effect over Lower Michigan until early Sunday morning. As of 8 p.m. Saturday
evening, snowfalls of 4 to 6 inches were common, with 13 inches reported in Antrim County in
northern Lower Michigan and Ludington on Lake Michigan in west-central Lower Michigan.
BRIEF 'WARM-UP' MIDWEEK
Strong northerly flow from the surface up to jet stream levels will keep temperatures
below normal over northeast Illinois into Tuesday. A slight weakening of this northerly
flow will then allow a temporary intrusion of warmer air midweek, with the warm-up peaking
just ahead of a cold front Thursday. High temps Wednesday/Thursday could be 4 to 8
degrees above normal.
--By Paul Dailey, WGN Weather Center Meteorologist