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Forecast calls for winter weather

By Linda Rush, The Southern

"I'm trying to look for a silver lining," meteorologist Alex Dodd of the National Weather Service in Paducah said Sunday night after forecasting not one, but two waves of winter precipitation heading our way this week.

"It looks like a pretty serious storm," Dodd said, adding that the amount and forms of precipitation will vary quite a bit across Southern Illinois. "The north will have more snow, while the southern counties will have sleet and freezing rain," Dodd said.

The first onslaught is expected to arrive between 3 and 6 p.m. today "and become steady to heavy fairly quickly and continue overnight," he said.

The second batch of precipitation should arrive in the late afternoon or early evening Tuesday and continue through the overnight hours, Dodd said. He expected Tuesday's mix to be more sleet and freezing rain across the region.

"There are no two ways about it - it should be a very difficult commute Tuesday morning," he said. Tuesday evening, roads might not be so hazardous, depending on how much road crews are able to accomplish during the day.

Total accumulation of freezing rain in southern counties near the Ohio River could be up to one-half to three-quarters inch, posing a threat to trees and power lines, Dodd said.

In the northern counties near Interstate 64, sleet and snow could range from 4 to 6 inches, with the snowfall heavier north of the interstate.

Carbondale, he said, could get 2 to 4 inches of snow mixed with sleet, primarily tonight. "It should transition to sleet Tuesday, with more ice Tuesday night," Dodd said.

Temperatures today, while a bit milder than Sunday's, still will be below freezing, he forecast. Highs today should reach the upper 20s, with lows tonight in the low to mid 20s. Tuesday's temperatures should be about the same, but by Wednesday, the temperatures should be around 30. By the end of the week they should moderate a bit, with highs reaching the 40s, Dodd said.