...WINTER STORM WATCH IN EFFECT FROM TUESDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH
WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN CHICAGO HAS ISSUED A WINTER STORM
WATCH...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM TUESDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH
WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON.

* TIMING...HEAVY SNOWFALL WILL SPREAD NORTHEASTWARD ACROSS THE
AREA MIDDAY WEDNESDAY AND CONTINUE THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT. AS THE
SNOWFALL FROM THE STORM SYSTEM STARTS TO WIND DOWN DURING
WEDNESDAY MORNING AND EARLY AFTERNOON...LAKE EFFECT SNOW WILL
HAVE DEVELOPED ON THE ILLINOIS SIDE OF THE LAKE. INCREASINGLY
HEAVY AND MORE CONCENTRATED LAKE EFFECT SNOW WILL SHIFT INTO FAR
NORTHWEST INDIANA DURING WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON AND PERSIST INTO
WEDNESDAY EVENING BEFORE SHIFTING FURTHER OFF TO THE EAST INTO
SOUTHWEST LOWER MICHIGAN AND NORTH CENTRAL INDIANA.

* ACCUMULATIONS...TOTAL ACCUMULATIONS FROM MONDAY MORNING THROUGH
WEDNESDAY EVENING ARE EXPECTED TO BE IN EXCESS OF 8 INCHES IN
NORTH CENTRAL ILLINOIS...AND IN EXCESS OF 12 INCHES OVER
NORTHEAST AND EAST CENTRAL ILLINOIS...AS WELL AS NORTHWEST
INDIANA. LOCAL AMOUNTS IN EXCESS OF 18 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE IN
FAR NORTHWEST INDIANA...DEPENDING ON EXACTLY WHERE THE LAKE
EFFECT SNOW BAND SETS UP AND HOW PERSISTENT IT IS OVER ANY ONE
LOCATION.

* HAZARDS...HEAVY SNOWFALL AS WELL AS BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW.

* IMPACTS...VERY DIFFICULT TO NEAR IMPOSSIBLE TRAVEL CONDITIONS AS
SNOW WILL BE ACCUMULATING AT A RAPID RATE DURING THE PEAK OF THE
SNOW STORM TUESDAY AFTERNOON AND NIGHT. HEAVY LAKE EFFECT SNOW
IN NORTHWEST INDIANA LATER WEDNESDAY AND WEDNESDAY EVENING WILL
CONTINUE TO HAMPER TRAVEL THERE.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A WINTER STORM WATCH MEANS THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR SIGNIFICANT
SNOW...SLEET...OR ICE ACCUMULATIONS THAT MAY IMPACT TRAVEL.
CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE LATEST FORECASTS.