3/1 Illinois Weather 6 AM: Winter Weather Advisory

Good morning. Illinois. I'm Aaron Jolly. Folks, that northeast wind greeting you at the door this morning? Blame the massive high pressure parked over the Upper Midwest. It's pulling cold Great Lakes air straight across the state. and it's not letting go until tonight. In the next 24 hours. Right now you're waking up to 27 degrees. Feels like January forgot to leave. Chicago tops out near 30 today with northeast winds pushing 10 to 20 miles an hour. That wind chill will bite through anything lighter than a real winter coat. Drive south into central Illinois and things loosen up a bit. Springfield and Champaign climb from a frosty 22 degrees this morning into the low 40s this afternoon. Northern Illinois splits the difference. 19 degrees at sunrise, 35 by mid afternoon. Now here's where tonight gets interesting. A sneaky little short wave rolling in from the Great Basin is about to collide with a stalled front draped across the southern half of the state. That collision triggers snow across central Illinois after 7 P.M. One to two inches for most of you. but a narrow band from Jacksonville over to Mattoon could see three inches. Along I-70, some sleet or freezing rain might mix in after midnight. Chicago and points north? You stay mostly dry. Maybe a stray flurry, nothing more. Monday morning south of I-74. That commute will be slick. Give yourself extra time and take it slow. Monday warms into the low 40s as that high finally slides east. Then everything flips. Tuesday brings rain as Gulf moisture surges north. Wednesday could fire up strong thunderstorms south of I-72. and by the end of the week? We're talking mid 60s to low 70s. March coming in like a lion and apparently sprinting straight toward spring. Keep the snow brush in the car tonight. You'll need it one last time before the warmth arrives. That's your forecast — we'll be back tomorrow. For the extended outlook, check the latest forecast as confidence improves. Stay safe, stay prepared. and enjoy the day.