The National Weather Service in Lincoln issued a special weather statement late Monday afternoon, about changing weather affecting Central Illinois on Wednesday.

The Weather Service says RAIN AND A FEW THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP OVER PARTS OF CENTRAL THROUGH EAST CENTRAL MISSOURI BY TUESDAY EVENING AND TRACK ACROSS PARTS OF SOUTH CENTRAL ILLINOIS...WHILE FURTHER NORTH...A STEADY
RAIN WILL DEVELOP FROM SOUTHWEST TO NORTHEAST. RAIN IS THEN FORECAST
TO GRADUALLY CHANGE OVER TO SNOW LATE TUESDAY EVENING...AND
ESPECIALLY DURING THE EARLY MORNING HOURS OF WEDNESDAY.

The Weather Service adds that BY THE TIME
THE SNOW ENDS LATE WEDNESDAY MORNING OVER THE EAST...ACCUMULATIONS OF SNOW WILL RANGE FROM 2 TO 5 INCHES...WITH LOCALLY HIGHER TOTALS
EAST OF INTERSTATE 55. THE MORE CONCENTRATED BAND OF SNOW WILL BE
ALONG AND EAST OF A PEORIA TO LINCOLN LINE.

A FEW LOCATIONS MAY SEE A MIX WITH SLEET JUST BEFORE THE CHANGEOVER TO SNOW OCCURS
LATE AT NIGHT. NORTHEAST TO NORTH WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO INCREASE
TO BETWEEN 20 AND 30 MPH WITH GUSTS AROUND 35 MPH AT TIMES.

The Weather Service says AT THIS TIME...IT APPEARS THE SNOW WILL BE RATHER SLUSHY AS TEMPERATURES
WILL BE AROUND THE FREEZING MARK LATE TUESDAY NIGHT BEFORE FALLING
OFF BY DAWN WEDNESDAY WHEN THE SNOW IS EXPECTED TO BE DIMINISHING...SO
THE THREAT FOR WIDESPREAD BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW APPEARS LOW AT
THIS TIME.

MOST OF THE ACCUMULATING SNOWS SHOULD PUSH EAST OF OUR AREA BY
LATE WEDNESDAY MORNING...FOLLOWED BY COLDER WEATHER FOR THE REST
OF THE DAY. IF YOU HAVE TRAVEL PLANS ANYWHERE ACROSS THE MIDWEST
OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS...KEEP TRACK OF THE LATER FORECASTS
ON THIS DEVELOPING STORM SYSTEM. ANY SHIFT IN THE TRACK FURTHER
NORTH OR SOUTH FOR LATER TUESDAY NIGHT INTO WEDNESDAY WILL HAVE A
DRAMATIC AFFECT ON PRECIPITATION TYPE AND AMOUNTS IN OUR AREA.

Stay tuned to Regional Radio for further updates on this changing weather situation.