Wintry weather to arrive by Thursday

[January 11, 2012]  A strong cold front is expected to sweep through central Illinois Wednesday night, introducing windy and sharply colder conditions by the end of the week.

High temperatures will fall into the upper 20s and lower 30s on Thursday, then will struggle to reach the lower to middle 20s by Friday. Overnight lows will fall into the teens both Thursday and Friday night, with a few locations possibly dipping into the single digits.

Brisk northwesterly winds of 10 to 20 mph will make it feel even colder, with wind chill values plunging to around zero Thursday night into Friday morning.

In addition to the colder weather, an upper-level disturbance will bring periodic snow showers to the area from Wednesday night through Thursday night. Accumulations of around 1 inch will be likely, with amounts of 1 to 2 inches possible along and north of the Interstate 74 corridor.

Motorists are advised to make preparations for a potentially slick commute home from work Thursday afternoon.

[Text from file received from Logan County Emergency Management Agency]