Winter Storm Warning Issued for Winnebago, Boone, Ogle, and Lee Counties
This alert is no longer in effect.
NOAA issued it on April 1, 2026, 4 months ago. Warnings of this kind stay in effect for hours to a few days, so this page is a historical record of what was issued, not a current warning. For conditions where you are right now, check weather.gov (US), weather.gc.ca (Canada), the Met Office (UK), or the Bureau of Meteorology (Australia).
Areazine synthesizes this NWS weather alert directly from NOAA's official public data feed. See our methodology for full source attribution and refresh cadence.
A Winter Storm Warning is in effect from Sunday evening through Monday afternoon, with heavy snow and 50 mph wind gusts creating near blizzard conditions.
Read this weather record in 30 seconds
- Record type
- Winter Storm Warning
- Affected area
- Northern Illinois
- Issued
- April 1, 2026
- Issuing authority
- NWS Chicago IL
Storm notices can cover different combinations of wind, hail, lightning, and rainfall. Use the original notice for the hazards and boundaries attached to this specific record.
Record status: historical. It was issued 4 months ago; use the issuing agency's live warning service for current conditions in Northern Illinois.
Alert Details
The National Weather Service in Chicago IL has issued a Winter Storm Warning for north-central Illinois. The alert is effective starting at 7:00 PM CDT this evening and remains in place until 1:00 PM CDT Monday.
Affected Areas
The warning specifically impacts the following counties in Illinois:
- Boone
- Lee
- Ogle
- Winnebago
What You Should Do
Residents are advised to consider delaying all travel. If travel is absolutely necessary, drive with extreme caution and maintain a winter storm kit in your vehicle. This kit should include tire chains, booster cables, a flashlight, a shovel, blankets, extra clothing, water, and a first aid kit. For the latest road conditions in Illinois, visit www.gettingaroundillinois.com.
Expected Conditions
- Snowfall: Total snow accumulations are expected to be between 3 and 6 inches.
- Wind: Gusts are forecast to reach as high as 50 mph.
- Visibility: Heavy falling snow combined with blowing and drifting snow may reduce visibilities to below 1/4 mile.
- Hazards: Near blizzard conditions are possible at times, making travel treacherous and potentially life-threatening. The hazardous conditions will significantly impact the Monday morning commute, and gusty winds may bring down tree branches.
Timeline
The Winter Storm Warning begins at 7:00 PM CDT on Sunday, March 15, and is expected to conclude at 1:00 PM CDT on Monday, March 16.
Original source: NOAA Official Notice ↗
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