snippets from KLOT
An early look at forecast thermal profiles
reveals an excellent and deep DGZ with prolific lift, which will
encourage fluffy snow ratios of 15:1 or higher. When paired with a
strong pressure gradient bolstered by a 1025+ mb high pressure
system across the Dakotas, there will be a threat for blustery
northeast wind with blowing snow and low visibility within the
deformation shield.
Interestingly, the 12Z deterministic guidance appears to exhibit
excellent agreement showing the track of the low from roughly Tulsa,
Oklahoma to Cincinnati, Ohio with the aforementioned band of
accumulating snow plastered through the heart of our forecast
area. With such a track, cooling 850mb temperatures and
northeasterly winds will be more than sufficient for enhancement
to snow rates along the Lake Michigan shore with low (if not very
low) visibility. Snow would taper overnight into Sunday, with
lake effect snow persisting in northwestern Indiana through Sunday
afternoon.
there does appear to be increasing
consistency among all members that the swath of snow will at least
touch our forecast area (about 27% of the 51 members drop >6" of
snow somewhere in northern Illinois and northwest Indiana). While
confidence continues to increase that a winter storm will impact
at least part of our area, we continue to urge caution with
premature snow forecasts. The message remains that the threat for
travel disruptions via air and land on Saturday continues to
increase.