...CHANGE IN THE WEATHER AS WELL AS THE CALENDAR TONIGHT...

UNSEASONABLY MILD EARLY EVENING TEMPERATURES WILL TURN SHARPLY
COLDER TONIGHT...AS A COLD FRONT PUSHES EAST ACROSS THE AREA. THE
FRONT IS EXPECTED TO ARRIVE IN NORTH CENTRAL ILLINOIS BY MID
EVENING...DROPPING TEMPERATURES FROM THE UPPER 40S AND 50S QUICKLY
INTO THE MID 30S. THE FRONT WILL REACH THE CHICAGO AND KANKAKEE
AREAS BY LATE EVENING...WITH THE SAME SHARP TEMPERATURE DROP.
TEMPERATURES WILL THEN CONTINUE TO FALL THROUGH THE HOURS AFTER
MIDNIGHT...REACHING THE MID AND UPPER TEENS IN WESTERN AREAS
AROUND ROCKFORD AND ROCHELLE...AND THE 20S FARTHER EAST. WIND
CHILLS WILL FALL AS LOW AS THE SINGLE DIGITS AS SOUTHWEST WINDS
GUST NEAR 30 MPH AT TIMES.

THE GUSTY WINDS MAY HELP TO DRY PAVEMENT WET FROM RECENT RAIN AND
SNOW MELT. HOWEVER...ICY PATCHES MAY DEVELOP IN SOME SPOTS AS
TEMPERATURES FALL BELOW FREEZING BY MIDNIGHT ACROSS NORTH CENTRAL
ILLINOIS...AND DURING THE PREDAWN HOURS FARTHER EAST INTO THE
CHICAGO AND KANKAKEE AREAS.

IF HEADING OUT THIS EVENING...DRESS FOR MUCH COLDER WEATHER LATER
IN THE NIGHT...AND BE ALERT FOR THE POTENTIAL FOR SOME ICY SPOTS
ON AREA ROADWAYS ESPECIALLY AFTER MIDNIGHT.