Computer Models Still Cloudy
Park Forest, IL-(ENEWSPF)- A winter storm is heading our way this week. That seems to be clear at this point. When it will hit and how much snow will fall on Park Forest and surrounding towns is still up in the air.
The National Weather Service, the primary source for all weather forecasters in the United States, reports a 100% chance of snow on Tuesday in Park Forest with an 80% chance of snow continuing Tuesday night through Wednesday.
At this point, the National Weather Service says little or no snow accumulation is expected Tuesday.
However, there is no forecast at this point on the amount of snowfall for Tuesday night through Wednesday, with ABC7 predicting up to 6 inches of the white stuff this week.
Fox 32 Chicago meteorologist Mike Caplan, however, took a leap, leaving the window open for a 40-hour monster storm with the possibility of 14 to 15 inches of snow from Monday night through Wednesday.
Caplan posted on Facebook Saturday night:
The brand new run of the NAM computer model (just in) shows a MONSTER snowstorm here. This is still subject to change and perhaps significantly so. I’ll point out that this model only goes out to noon on Wednesday. There would be many more hours of snow left ON TOP of the numbers shown here. I share this simply to alert you to the POSSIBILITY of disruptive snowfall perhaps for more than 48 hours starting Monday night. This is still “out there” and the forecast numbers are going to change. How much remains to be seen.
What we know for certain is that we don’t know for certain right now. As of late Sunday afternoon, the NWS says, “Significant winter storm could dump heavy wet snow on portions of the region Tuesday through Wednesday morning.”
Significant winter storm could dump heavy wet snow on portions of the region Tuesday through Wednesday morning. #ILWX #INWX pic.twitter.com/5wIB2bJ30s
— NWS Chicago (@NWSChicago) February 23, 2020
A strengthening storm is expected to dump snow on interior portions of the Northeast, setting up lake-effect snow that will continue even after the storm departs.
After traveling through the Plains and into the Midwest, a snowstorm will press through the Ohio Valley and into southern Canada Tuesday and Tuesday Night. This will drop a swath of heavier snow from Iowa to southern Ontario.
At the same time, this storm will send rain showers into the Northeast, with perhaps some wet snow mixing with rain in far northern New England.
While this winter storm continues to strengthen in southern Canada, a second storm will come into the Northeast from the south, spreading snow across interior portions of the region.
Merging with the colder air introduced by the first storm in the east, more snow will spread from the Ohio Valley to New England from Wednesday through Thursday.
The potential exists for a swath of significant snow to develop on the storm’s colder, northwest flank, which will mostly be in Canada and in northern New England. In these areas, 6-12 inches of accumulation is possible with an AccuWeather Local StormMax™️ of 15 inches.
What we know now: Monday, expect rain.
Check back for more details as the computer models and forecasts become less cloudy.