ICE STORM WARNINGS remains in effect for Rock, Green and Walworth counties in southern Wisconsin, as well as for Stephenson and Jo Daviess counties in northwest Illinois. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORIES remain in effect for Winnebago, Boone, McHenry, Ogle, Carroll and DeKalb counties. All of these will go into effect Wednesday morning, lasting through Thursday afternoon/evening.

It is the calm before the storm, so to speak, Tuesday evening as skies remain cloudy and temperatures sit in the low 30s. We likely won’t see those numbers drop too much during the night, remaining between 30-33 degrees into Wednesday morning.

A few light snow showers and flurries have been moving through far northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin, but very little of that reached the ground. Those will continue to move north, leaving mostly cloudy skies for most of the night.

A light mix of sleet, freezing rain and snow are expected by sunrise Wednesday. Precipitation will become steadier, and heavy at times, during the mid to late morning and afternoon. This is when we will see heavier rates of rain, sleet and freezing rain. Temperatures will be key throughout the day, as only a difference between a degree or two could be the difference between a cold, heavy rain or freezing rain.

Locations north of Highway 20 into southern Wisconsin have the best chance for seeing ice accumulations of up to, or a little over, a quarter of an inch. Areas south of Highway 20 to about I-88 have a better chance for ice accumulations of a tenth of an inch to a quarter of an inch. South of I-88 it’ll most likely be rain, and heavy rain at that.

Sleet is also a concern throughout the day. Heavier sleet accumulations would cut down on ice accumulations, as well as heavier rainfall rates.

Northeast winds will be increasing Wednesday as well, gusting to around 35 mph into the evening. Winds will then turn to the west and northwest Thursday, gusting 35-40 mph. The risk of power outages and downed branches/small trees does exist Wednesday. This is especially true in areas that receive higher ice accumulations.