'The wind is going to be everything with this event': Peoria braces for snowstorm

The Peoria area is forecast to receive its first big storm of the season Thursday, with a predicted snowfall of 2 to 4 inches.

Mike Albano, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service office in Lincoln, said that while that quantity of snow would not pose a serious challenge on its own, the confluence of snow, high winds and subzero temperatures could seriously disrupt travel and infrastructure in the area.

"The wind is going to be everything with this event," he said. "Even a couple inches of fresh snowfall, paired together with wind gusts of 40 miles per hour or greater, can create what we call 'ground blizzard' type conditions. That's a sharp reduction in visibility on many of the area highways and interstates where visibility can fall below a mile."

The weather service issued a winter storm warning for 6 a.m. Thursday through 6 a.m. Saturday.

Temperatures on Thursday night are predicted to drop to as low as minus 7 with wind chill values as low as minus 34. If temperatures in Peoria dip below zero for three consecutive days, as forecasts suggest they will, it will be the first such occurrence since 2000.

"I think having an emergency supply kit not only at home, but also in the car, is prudent," Albano said. "I think keeping an eye out on the forecast is a good idea as it will continue to evolve over the next day."

More:'Looking like one of the biggest storms of the year': Snow, extreme cold headed to Peoria

Gene Olson, director of airports at the Peoria Metropolitan Airport Authority, told the Journal Star that "it's going to be an interesting end of the week for us."

While he stressed that it is impossible to say what the storm's impact on flights will be, he warned that high winds and cold temperatures could result in cancellations.

Disruptions to travel will be compounded by the timing of the storm: With Christmas approaching, the next couple of days will be some of the year's busiest. There is, Albano said, a possible silver lining: Only about a quarter of Peoria Christmases are white, and the area is expected to see its first white Christmas since 2017.

This article originally appeared on Journal Star: Winter storm warning: Peoria braces for significant snow, high winds