Sauk Valley to see more snow, dangerous windchills

DIXON — As the Sauk Valley emerges from two snowstorms followed by dangerous windchills within a 10-day span, forecasters Wednesday were once again predicting more snow and plummeting temperatures over the next few days.

A National Weather Service outlook released Wednesday morning that includes Lee and Ogle counties predicted accumulating snow likely Wednesday night into Thursday morning, especially north of Interstate 80. Some areas were expected to pick up 1 to 3 inches by morning and localized ice jam flooding was predicted to continue along some rivers.

Snow also is to begin falling Thursday night, with windchill values as low as -8 and gusts of up to 20 mph. New snow accumulation of around an inch is possible. Accumulating snow is likely to adversely impact travel Thursday night into early Friday morning, the NWS reported.

Very cold wind chills are expected again Friday into Saturday. Temps are expected to reach a high of 9 on Friday with gusts of 20 mph. Friday night will be mostly cloudy with a low around -8.

Temperatures will warm up Sunday, with a high near 20. Freezing rain could make its way into the area Monday into Monday night as temperatures hover around the freezing mark.

The National Weather Service also has released a list of some of the coldest temperatures observed across the area during the mornings of Sunday, Jan. 14, and Monday, Jan. 15. Wind chills of 30 degrees below zero were observed area-wide on those two days, which were the chilliest of the cold stretch. The coldest observed wind chills in northern Illinois and northwest Indiana were a little below 40 degrees below zero.

Among the coldest temperatures recorded locally, according to the NWS, were the Lee County towns of Compton and Sublette, which registered -19 around 3:30 Jan. 15, and the Dixon Airport, which recorded -18 at 4 a.m. that day.

Windchills reached -45 in Compton at 9:35 am. Jan. 14, and -41 at the Dixon airport at 8:39 a.m. that day. On Jan. 15, Dixon reached a windchill of -31 shortly before 3 a.m. Compton registered a windchill reading of -41 at 3:25 a.m.

The weather’s impact on a woman living in a tent in Lowden State Park near Oregon has caused concern for people following her story on social media, in this publication and on Rockford TV stations.

Sarah Wright appreciates the outpouring of concern and help area residents have bestowed upon her after learning she and her dog have been staying in a tent at Lowden State Park. But she does not want anyone to risk their own well-being to try to help her, and more importantly, she wants everyone to know that she is not a novice to camping – even when the temperatures dip below zero and Mother Nature lets loose with a foot of snow.

“I am an experienced camper,” Wright said Monday in a text message. “I noticed people wanting to come visit me in dangerous weather and wanting to share [my] experience which is good if prepared. I don’t want people thinking you can just get a tent and Walmart gear and start living in a tent.”

Wright says she has camped “primitively” before and was well-prepared for the recent winter weather.

Friday’s winter storm dropped between 10-14 inches of snow across the region followed by wind gusts and sub-zero temperatures on Saturday, Sunday and Monday, raising concern from Wright’s online followers.