So much for the groundhog’s early spring prediction: McHenry County hit by late March snowstorm

Seven weeks ago, Woodstock Willie predicted an early spring. The furry prognosticator of seasons was mostly correct, even past the first official day of spring Tuesday.

Unfortunately, Willie’s forecast went south Friday when a winter storm made its way through McHenry County, dumping several inches of snow in some areas and messing up plans for Easter egg hunts and other outdoor activities slated for what is the opening weekend of spring break for many local children and families.

The snow that brought the plows back out Friday morning continued into the afternoon in many parts of the county, the result of a narrow but intense band of precipitation, said David King, meteorologist with National Weather Service in Chicago.

The National Weather Service had received several reports of 6 to 7 inches of snow in the center of McHenry County, and snow totals were about 4 inches closer to the Wisconsin border and 1 inch closer to the southern portion of McHenry County early Friday afternoon, said meteorologist Brett Borchardt.

Heading into the weekend, Saturday is expected to be sunny with highs in the mid-30s, and Sunday will start off sunny and get cloudier later with highs in the upper 30s, said National Weather Service meteorologist Gino Izzi. He added most of the snow will likely be melted by the end of the day Monday.

Izzi said there was a report of 6.5 inches of snow at about 12:45 p.m. Friday in Woodstock and another report of 6 inches of snow in McHenry at 2 p.m. Friday. He added there would be a more complete roundup of snow totals Saturday morning.

A winter storm warning expired Friday afternoon for McHenry, Boone and Winnebago counties. Borchardt said Rockford was the “bullseye” of the storm and there were reports of 9 inches of snow there.

David Christensen, director of the McHenry County Emergency Management Agency, said Friday afternoon there had been a number of crashes in the county. He noted that the snow that fell was a wet snow. With the National Weather Service forecasting wind speeds of 25 mph Friday night, he anticipated “some drifting” but not as much as if it was a dry snow. He also urged people to check in on their neighbors.

The weather also snarled the McHenry Outdoor Theater’s plans to open Friday evening, in what was planned as its earliest opening ever. Operators of the theater, at 1510 N. Chapel Hill Road in McHenry, announced on Facebook they plan to reopen Saturday.

“Due to the weather and the fact that our parking lot is gravel, we regret to tell you that we won’t be showing movies tonight, Friday, March 22. It’s not a decision that we take lightly, and we knew opening up earlier than ever whether would be a risk. Well, mother nature apparently is not a movie buff,” the posting said.

“I jinxed myself booking ‘[Ghostbusters:] Frozen Empire,’” owner Scott Dehn said. “What are you going to do? I can’t complain. I had great luck with the extended season last year. Right now, based on the weather forecast, we’ll try again” Saturday.

An Easter egg hunt planned for Sunday at the theater, sponsored by The Bremer Team-Keller Williams Success Realty, has been rescheduled for March 30, with gates opening at 11 a.m., activities beginning at 11:30 a.m. and the hunt starting at noon. The theater’s concession building will be open. Participants must be registered to attend and registration has closed. If event organizers hear from enough current registrants that they cannot attend the rescheduled date, registration may reopen. Check the Bremer Team’s Facebook page for the most up-to-date information. A screening of “Hop” is no longer planned as part of the event since the theater will be open that day showing its regular lineup.

An Easter egg hunt scheduled for 10 a.m. Saturday in Algonquin is planning to proceed as usual, but an Easter egg hunt from 2 to 3 p.m. Saturday in Spring Grove has been rescheduled to March 30, according to the Village of Spring Grove website.