Light snow expected for southern Illinois tonight; more rain than snow for western Kentucky

The National Weather Service in Paducah has issued its latest outlook for the first of three weather event this week.

After sunshine today, a mix of rain and light snow is expected to develop across the entire area late tonight, before ending on Tuesday afternoon.

Most of southern Illinois will see less than an inch, but a narrow band of one to two inches of snow is possible from Marion and Carbondale, eastward
through Harrisburg and Hardin County toward Owensboro, Kentucky. 

Warmer ground temperatures should limit the amount of accumulation on roadways. However, slippery and slushy conditions could be a factor on Tuesday morning's commute.

South of that band, the southernmost Illinois counties of Alexander, Pulaski, and Massac could see more like a trace to a fraction of an inch of snow. The same is expected for Kentucky in Livingston, Crittenden and Caldwell counties.

For most of western Kentucky it should be more of a rain event, as the overnight low is forecast to stay above freezing. Counties closer to the Tennessee border could see heavier rain.

In fact, the 7-day outlook for a series of significant rains could be a bigger concern for Kentucky, with up to 3 inches possible for Paducah by the weekend, 4 inches for Murray, and up to 6 inches for Hopkinsville to Nashville.

Some minor flooding is already occurrng on the Ohio and Green rivers, and this week's rain could develop into more widespread flooding by the weekend.

We will apparently miss out on more serious weather ramping up this week for the central and eastern part of Kentucky. That portion of the state is already divided by a flood watch to the south, and a winter storm watch to the north.

Most of Tennessee is bracing for 6 to 8 inches of rain later this week.