Say Goodbye to Cold, Hello to Rain, Fog & Flooding

The tradeoff for warmer weather: Rain, freezing rain, fog, an increased potential for rises on area rivers and creeks as well as ice-jam related flooding.

How wonderful.

The National Weather Service Chicago issued a hazardous weather outlook Friday that covers much of northern Illinois, including Will County, and the outlook is expected to remain in effect for the next seven days.

A freezing rain advisory is in effect until midnight Friday.

Rainfall amounts of a half- to three-quarters of an inch are expected Friday afternoon and Friday night. And, because the ground is covered with snow, there is no place for the rain to go. As a result, there will be puddles on roadways and there could be flooding problems in low-lying areas.

The chance of rain/freezing rain/snow diminishes on Saturday in Plainfield as the temperature reaches a high of about 36. Then, on Sunday, expect to see the sun come out, temps climb to 42 and some drying to occur as south winds gust as high as 30 mph.

How bad as the treacherous winter weather been? In the first seven days of this year—Jan. 1-7—Illinois State Police District 5 Troopers handled more than 250 crashes and assisted more than 400 motorists who became stranded as a result of incidents related to the dangerous weather conditions, according to a news release issued by Tropper DeAnn Falat.

By comparison, Falat said District 5 troopers handled 42 crashes and 65 motorist assists during the same period in 2013, representing a more than 500 percent increase in calls for service this year as a result of the poor driving conditions.