FIRST ALERT: Winter storm to have major impact on the Stateline

ROCKFORD, Ill. (WIFR) - Winter’s off to quite a gentle start thus far, but that’s about to change in a big, big way!

A major winter storm system is poised to unleash a multi-pronged attack on the area beginning as early as Wednesday night and lasting all the way into Christmas Eve. There are three distinct threats this storm will present. What follows below is a breakdown of each.

The first threat, as in the case with most winter storms, is snow. Wednesday’s to be a quiet one, at least during the daytime hours, but snow’s due in for many late Wednesday evening into early Thursday morning. While minor accumulations are possible during this time, travel impacts aren’t likely to be severe.

Round two of snow is to fall from mid-morning through mid-afternoon Thursday, and could come down heavily at times. Travel conditions will deteriorate rather quickly, especially as the winds pick up following the passage of a powerful cold front.

As for snowfall accumulations, they don’t appear to be earth-shattering. It’s likely that a total of 3″-6″ of snow will fall. That may cause some to question the legitimacy of the Winter Storm Watches and Warnings that have already been put into effect, but I emphatically insist that’s not to be the case.

The accumulating snow is just one of the threats this storm will present. The wind’s to become an increasing force with time as we go through Thursday, Thursday night, and Friday, long after the last snowflakes fall from the sky. Winds are to gust as high as 30mph Thursday afternoon, 40-45mph Thursday night, and 50-55mph on Friday. It’s not hard to imagine visibility being greatly reduced to near zero as occasional whiteout conditions are all but certain. Blowing and drifting of the snow is a clear danger, potentially exceeding that of the actual snowfall itself, and it’s likely to be a potential issue for a matter of days, not hours.

Not only are the winds to be powerful, they’re to be extremely, extremely cold. The arctic spigot’s to be unleashed in a big way following the passage of Thursday’s front. Temperatures are to plummet, and as winds ramp up, wind chills, too, will be in a state of freefall. Wind chills will have fallen well below 0° by early afternoon, will be colder than -20° by evening, and between -30° and -40° come Friday morning, only rebounding into the -20s Friday afternoon as air temperatures struggle to reach 0°. It goes without saying that it’s strongly recommended that folks stay inside throughout this period, as frostbite on exposed skin could occur within 15 minutes.

While temperatures will warm ever so slightly Saturday into the upper single digits, it’ll hardly be a picnic. Winds are still to remain an issue, meaning the blowing and drifting concerns are to continue. Secondly, wind chills are to remain in the -15° to -25° range, which is still in rather dangerous territory.

It can’t be overstated that travel’s to become extremely hazardous, if not impossible, beginning Thursday afternoon and lasting through at least Saturday. That’s why we continue to strongly implore folks to get any last minute shopping or errands completed on Wednesday, and to complete holiday travel by then as well. If you do attempt to travel Thursday, Friday, or Saturday, simply put, you’re tempting fate.

If there’s good news, it’s that warmer times are in view next week. Temperatures are to return to the 20s by Monday, the 30s by Wednesday, and 40s aren’t out of the question by next Friday.

Copyright 2022 WIFR. All rights reserved.