Storm unleashes its most powerful winds/snows on Friday morning; near blizzard strength gusts
A good part of the Chicago area is threatened by its heaviest early season snow accumulations in nearly three decades—perhaps the heaviest early snow in all 122 years of snow observations here if totals exceed 7.8” at O’Hare. Thunder and lightning and the snowbursts which accompany them are a distinct possibility Friday morning and could put snow down at rates of up to 2-3” an hour. Though this storm’s final snow tallies will be inextricably linked to the length of time in which precipitation fell in a form other than snow, the heaviest totals—most likely to pile up in areas just west and north of Chicago—could reach or exceed 14”.
Chicago pavement temps fell more than 15° in Thursday’s chill. It’s a development which will make the vigorous snows which fall amid near blizzard 30+ m.p.h. wind gusts through Friday morning’s rush hour more of a challenge to clear.
--By Tom Skilling, WGN-TV Chief Meteorologist