textproduct: Chicago

KEY MESSAGES

- Scattered snow showers and areas of blowing snow will continue through this evening leading to localized poor visibility.

- Tonight will be unseasonably chilly with overnight wind chills ranging from 0 to locally 15 below.

- A clipper system will bring a period of snow to the area Tuesday night into Wednesday morning. Thereafter, a warming trend will commence through the end of the week.

UPDATE

Issued at 617 PM CDT Mon Mar 16 2026

Have extended the winter weather advisory for blowing and drifting snow through the remainder of the evening hours. The strong winds and freshly fallen snow cover continue to lead to near blizzard conditions being reported in spots in open areas. We've also gotten reports of considerble drifting snow and refreeze resulting in big problems, mainly on north-south roadways. While winds will gradually ease this evening, the threat of hazardous travel conditions in open areas will likely persist well into the evening hours. In fact, it will likely become more difficult to spot snow drifted over roadways at night, increasing the hazard for motorists.

In addition, we will likely continue to snow showers, a few rather robust, falling out of horizontal convective rolls that extend back west into Iowa. Any one of the more robust wind whipped snow showers could result in a quick coating snow in addition greatly reduced visibility. The snow shower threat should continue well into the evening hours and perhaps even after midnight.

Updated grids and text products have been sent.

- Izzi

DISCUSSION

Issued at 230 PM CDT Mon Mar 16 2026

Snow showers continue this afternoon across much of the area, but especially the eastern half of the cwa. Visibilities in these snow showers have been reported to near zero at times and opted to issue a winter weather advisory for this potential for all but the Chicago metro area until 00z. Even outside these snow showers, northwest winds gusting as high as 40 mph will also produce areas of blowing and drifting snow. These northwest winds will slowly diminish during the evening which will allow the blowing snow threat to also slowly diminish through this evening.

The snow showers are expected to slowly dissipate in intensity and coverage by early this evening. However, many of the models continue to show at least isolated snow showers through late evening and possibly into the early overnight hours. Have included slight chance pops for this potential. However, given how strong these current snow showers are, if snow showers were to continue tonight, they too would have the potential for brief low visibility and perhaps some minor snow accumulations.

This potential for snow showers tonight may delay clearing skies, but some clearing is expected by daybreak, especially across the northwest cwa. This combined with the fresh snow pack will allow temps to drop into the low single digits across the northwest cwa, likely low teens for the rest of the area. Wind speeds still in the 10 to 15 mph range will allow wind chills to drop as low as 10 below zero early Tuesday morning.

A clipper system will move across the area Tuesday night bringing a period of light accumulating snow to the area. There remains some uncertainty for amounts and the overall trend from the 12z guidance is for amounts to be a bit lower as the wave weakens as it moves across the area. Still expecting snowfall amounts of 1-2 inches but its also possible for some areas to see under an inch. Looks to be a low qpf, high pop event. The bulk of the snow should be over by daybreak Wednesday, but some lingering snow is possible Wednesday morning, especially across northwest IN. Temps are expected to be slowly warming into the mid 20s by daybreak Wednesday, but with temps below freezing and the snow falling at night, untreated surfaces are expected to become snow covered and slippery.

Another weak wave moves southeast across the area late Wednesday night into Thursday morning and may produce some light qpf, especially over Lake Michigan and into northern IN and southwest MI. Temps by this time look to be around or just above freezing. Thus anything that does fall, looks to be mainly rain. Confidence is also low with this potential and trends will need to be monitored.

An overall warmer pattern is expected for the end of the week and the weekend. Though there will be a cold front late Friday afternoon into Friday night that could turn temps cooler, especially near Lake Michigan. Then a second, stronger cold front may move across the area Saturday night or early Sunday morning, with temps returning to near normal or below normal Sunday into Monday. cms

AVIATION /00Z TAFS THROUGH 06Z WEDNESDAY/

Issued at 624 PM CDT Mon Mar 16 2026

Isolated to scattered SHSN with primarily VFR visibility and ceiling are expected through the early overnight hours. However, a renewed period of modest cold air advection will result in increased intensity with intermittent MVFR visibility and ceilings mid to late evening. Expect ceilings to scatter after the snow and through Tuesday morning before redeveloping into a low-end VFR BKN stratocumulus deck during the afternoon and evening. A few flurries cannot be ruled out during the afternoon, but cloud depths appear too shallow to support precip. Finally, light SN is expected to bring IFR visibility and accumulations up to one inch just after the TAF period (06-12Z Wednesday).

NW winds will continue to gust in excess of 25 knots through this evening, then gradually subside to 10 to 15 knots overnight. Winds will back SW around 10 knots Tuesday afternoon and SSW 10-15 knots Tuesday evening.

Kluber

LOT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

IL...Winter Weather Advisory until midnight CDT tonight for ILZ003- ILZ004-ILZ005-ILZ008-ILZ010-ILZ011-ILZ012-ILZ019-ILZ020- ILZ021-ILZ023-ILZ032-ILZ033-ILZ039-ILZ105-ILZ106-ILZ107- ILZ108.

IN...Winter Weather Advisory until midnight CDT /1 AM EDT/ tonight for INZ001-INZ002-INZ010-INZ011-INZ019.

LM...Gale Warning until 10 PM CDT this evening for the IL and IN nearshore waters.