Update: Snow is heading to southwest IL. Here’s how it will affect your Friday commute

With accumulating snow heading toward the metro-east, the region is now under a winter weather advisory.

According to the National Weather Service of St. Louis, the metro-east can expect anywhere from 1-3 inches of snow Friday. Brad Charboneau, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service of St. Louis, said the snow likely will begin after midnight Thursday, with the majority of the accumulating snow falling between 6 a.m. and 2-3 p.m. Friday.

“Friday is when we expect most of the snow to fall,” Charboneau said Thursday morning. “We’re calling for 1-3 inches of snow in the metro-east. Anywhere in that range would be a reasonable amount to expect. It should be out of the area by late afternoon. We could have some light snow lingering into the early evening, but most of it will wrap up by 2 or 3 in the afternoon.”

As of Thursday morning, Charboneau did not expect much, if any, ice or sleet with the system.

“At this point, the vast majority will fall as snow. We’re not really looking at a high probability of other precipitation types right now,” he said.

Additionally. Charboneau cautioned the storm will affect the Friday morning commute and recommended, if people are able, to stay home from work and off the roads in general. He said people who have to travel should give themselves extra time and extra stopping distance. Drivers should take things slowly.

“This storm will mostly affect the Friday morning rush when most of the travel impact will occur when the heaviest snow will be falling,” he said. “Just be prepared. We really recommend if you can manage it, to just stay home. The snow likely will be enough to cause some travel difficulty on the road. If you have to head out, just take it easy and drive safely.”

Charboneau noted the storm should not cause significant problems with the commute home.

“Most of the snow should mostly be done falling by then,” he said. “At that time of day, the roads that are most concerning are areas that don’t have as much treatment on the roads. I think the biggest impact will be on the morning commute.”

Plummeting temperatures also will accompany this system. After reaching a high of 52 on Wednesday, lows will fall to around 15 degrees Friday night into Saturday morning.

What’s a winter weather advisory?

Charboneau also differentiated the difference between a winter weather advisory and a winter storm warning.

“A winter weather advisory is one step below a winter storm warning in terms of impact,” he said. “An advisory generally involves snow that’s kind of in the 2-5 inch range and can cause travel impacts but is not as extreme as a winter storm warning. An advisory is still something to take seriously if you plan to be out on the roads. You want to be checking the weather and keeping yourself safe.”

Overall, this round of winter weather should be short-lived as Sunday’s expected high is 59 degrees. Then, Monday’s projected high is 62 degrees, Tuesday’s 59 and Wednesday’s 70.

The National Weather Service recommends keeping plugged into the forecast as it develops, www.weather.gov.

This story was originally published March 10, 2022 at 9:42 AM.