Below is the latest from the weather service, which is showing a study in contrasts across the readership area.
From weatherunderground.com for Harrisburg as of 5:22 a.m. March 12, 2014:
… Wind Advisory remains in effect until 4 PM CDT this
afternoon…A Wind Advisory remains in effect until 4 PM CDT this afternoon.
* Strong northwest winds reaching Wind Advisory levels will sweep
across the region today. Winds will gradually weaken over
southwest Illinois and southeast Missouri early this
afternoon… and over the rest of the area around 4 PM CDT.* Sustained winds of 20 to 30 mph… with wind gusts between 35 and
45 mph… are expected to rapidly spread across the region
before 10 am CDT.* For motorists driving along west to east oriented roads… the
winds will cause some difficulty in steering. This will be
especially true for high profile vehicles such as tractor
trailers and recreational vehicles. Some tree limbs and trees
weakened by recent wintry events may fall and could impact
nearby structures or power lines. Unsecured objects left
outdoors may be tossed around as well.Precautionary/preparedness actions…
A Wind Advisory is issued when sustained winds are expected to
reach 30 mph or greater for longer than one hour… or wind gusts
are expected to reach 45 mph for any duration.
And from the north counties reaches of Paris, there’s this:
… Winter Weather Advisory remains in effect until 11 am CDT this
morning…A Winter Weather Advisory remains in effect until 11 am CDT this
morning.* Timing… light to moderate snow will continue into mid
morning… slowly tapering off from west to east.* Accumulations… total accumulations of 2 to 3 inches are
likely before the snow ends… with locally higher amounts
possible.* Wind… northerly winds of 25 to 35 mph will gust from 40 to 45
mph in much of central Illinois… with some gusts as high as
50 mph near I-57.* Impacts… roads will quickly become slushy as the snow
accumulates. Icy travel conditions may occur on roads that
have not been well treated yet. The wet snow is expected to
limit the amount of blowing and drifting to a relative
minimum… although areas near Champaign and Danville are more
likely to see some blowing snow due to the higher wind speeds
in that area.Precautionary/preparedness actions…
A Winter Weather Advisory for snow means that periods of snow
will cause primarily travel difficulties. Be prepared for snow
covered roads and limited visibilities… and use caution while
driving.
Sometimes we wonder if it’s worth it, when there are areas of the country with a little more stable weather…
Enjoy Spring….and use caution today til this crap passes.