A BLIZZARD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 3 PM CST /4 PM EST/
WEDNESDAY.

* TIMING...ACCUMULATING SNOW HAS OVERSPREAD NORTHERN ILLINOIS AND
NORTHWEST INDIANA...SPREADING NORTH TO THE WISCONSIN STATE LINE.
THE HEAVIEST SNOWFALL IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP BETWEEN 7 PM AND 3
AM WEDNESDAY MORNING ACROSS ALL OF NORTHERN ILLINOIS AND
NORTHWEST INDIANA.

* ACCUMULATIONS...SNOW WILL BE HEAVY AT TIMES WITH ACCUMULATION
RATES LIKELY REACHING OR EXCEEDING 1 TO 2 INCHES PER HOUR. STORM
TOTAL SNOWFALL OF 10 TO 16 INCHES IS LIKELY TOWARD ROCKFORD AND
DIXON. THE HEAVIEST SNOWFALL TOTALS ARE LIKELY DOWNWIND OF LAKE
MICHIGAN IN THE CHICAGO METROPOLITAN AREA INTO NORTHWEST INDIANA
WHERE 12 TO 20 INCHES OF SNOW IS LIKELY...WITH POSSIBLE
LOCALIZED TOTALS UP TO TWO FEET.

* WINDS...NORTHEAST WINDS FROM 20 TO 35 MPH...WITH WIND GUSTS UP
TO 40 MPH. GUSTS WILL CONTINUE TO INCREASE LATER THIS EVENING
AND CONTINUE OVERNIGHT TO 40 TO 50 MPH. EVEN STRONGER WINDS ARE
LIKELY NEAR THE IMMEDIATE LAKE SHORE WITH SUSTAINED WINDS OF 30
TO 40 MPH WITH GUSTS BETWEEN 50 AND 60 MPH.

* BLIZZARD CONDITIONS...STRONG WINDS COMBINED WITH CONSIDERABLE
BLOWING AND OCCASIONALLY HEAVY FALLING SNOW WILL REDUCE
VISIBILITIES TO NEAR ZERO AT TIMES.

* THUNDERSTORMS...ISOLATED SNOW-PRODUCING THUNDERSTORMS ARE
EXPECTED TO DEVELOP TONIGHT...RESULTING IN LOCALIZED INTENSE
SNOWFALL RATES. IT IS NOT UNCOMMON FOR SNOWFALL RATES TO
EXCEED 4 INCHES PER HOUR IN THUNDER SNOW MAKING TRAVEL NEARLY
IMPOSSIBLE.

* TRAVEL...ROAD CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE TO DETERIORATE AS SNOW
CONTINUES TO OVERSPREAD NORTHERN ILLINOIS AND NORTHWEST INDIANA.
TRAVEL IS EXPECTED TO REMAIN TREACHEROUS AS WINDS INCREASE
RESULTING IN WHITE OUT CONDITIONS. UNNECESSARY TRAVEL SHOULD BE
AVOIDED AT ALL COSTS THROUGH EARLY WEDNESDAY MORNING AS MORE
THAN HALF OF THE FATALITIES IN BLIZZARDS HAVE OCCURRED AS A
RESULT OF TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS.

* POWER OUTAGES...THE COMBINATION OF STRONG AND GUSTY WINDS
ALONG WITH POSSIBLY HEAVY WET SNOW STICKING TO POWER LINES
COULD RESULT IN POWER OUTAGES. DUE TO THE PROLONGED NATURE OF
VERY ADVERSE CONDITIONS...PLAN ACCORDINGLY FOR THE POSSIBILITY
OF A PROLONGED DISRUPTION IN COMMERCIAL POWER.

* OTHER IMPACTS...THE HEAVY NATURE OF THE SNOW WILL MAKE
SHOVELING VERY DIFFICULT...AND POTENTIALLY DEADLY. DURING AND
IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THE BLIZZARD OF 1999 OVER 40 PEOPLE IN
THE CHICAGO AREA ALONE LOST THEIR LIVES TO HEART ATTACKS WHILE
SHOVELING THE HEAVY SNOWFALL. TAKE FREQUENT BREAKS INDOORS AND
DO NOT UNDERESTIMATE THE TASK AT HAND WHEN SHOVELING.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A BLIZZARD WARNING MEANS SEVERE WINTER WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE
EXPECTED OR OCCURRING. FALLING AND BLOWING SNOW WITH STRONG WINDS
AND POOR VISIBILITIES ARE LIKELY. THIS WILL LEAD TO WHITEOUT
CONDITIONS...MAKING TRAVEL EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. DO NOT TRAVEL! IF
YOU ABSOLUTELY MUST TRAVEL...HAVE A WINTER SURVIVAL KIT WITH YOU.
IF YOU GET STRANDED...STAY WITH YOUR VEHICLE.