Early morning update: Big chill

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By Rick Rector | Friday, January 18, 2008 |

T.G.I.F., Quad-Cities. Better bundle up today. We’ve been talking about it for a couple of days. Now we can experience it -- welcome to the deep freeze. It’s 9 degrees in the Quad-Cities, that’s -3 degrees with the wind chill, under fair skies. Brrr!

A cold front moving through the region is bringing the possibility of light snow today and wind that will cause blowing snow, particularly in rural areas. We can expect wind chill values of 20 to 30 degrees below zero overnight tonight and Saturday. A few areas in the region could experience wind chill readings as low as 35 below zero.

This has prompted the National Weather Service to issue a wind chill advisory through the weekend. A wind chill advisory means that very cold air and strong winds will combine to generate low wind chills resulting in frost bite and hypothermia if precautions are not taken. Frostbite can occur within 20 minutes during these conditions. Or to put it another way ... It’s going to be darn cold!

Today’s weather

There is a 50 percent chance of snow after 9 a.m. It will be mostly cloudy, with a high near 22 degrees. Daytime wind chill values will be as low as -6 degrees. Winds could gust as high as 24 mph. Total daytime snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible. Tonight there will be patchy blowing snow and a slight chance of snow showers, mainly before 8 p.m., then patchy blowing snow and scattered flurries between 8 p.m. and midnight, then areas of blowing snow after midnight. The low will be around -2 degrees. Source: National Weather Service.

Football weather

Although some would argue that the weather is more suited for dog sledding, this weekend you’ll see some football the way it was met to be played – outdoors, in the elements. None of this indoor sissy stuff on fake grass. Game time weather for Sunday’s AFC championship in Foxboro, Mass. will be cloudy, with a high of 18 degrees and a slight chance of light snow. Game time for the NFC championship in Green Bay, Wis. will be partly cloudy with a high around 5 degrees. Give the advantage to the home teams.

A flood advisory remains in effect for the Rock River near Joslin, Ill., and affects Henry, Rock Island and Whiteside counties as cold temperatures returning to the area will produce new ice formations between Joslin and Moline resulting in rapid rises and drops of a foot or more to river levels.

A boil order remains in affect in Carbon Cliff for all homes and businesses located along 2nd Avenue between Valley View Drive and 10th Street, as well as between Jay and 6th streets, and all homes and businesses on 1st Avenue between State and 10th streets. Water should be brought to a rolling boil for five minutes before use. For more information, contact Village Clerk Karen Hopkins at (309) 792-8235 or visit the Village’s Web site at carbon-cliff.com.

Road conditions

CLICK HERE for Illinois road conditions. CLICK HERE for Iowa road conditions.

Flight times

Flying? CLICK HERE to check flight status, wait times and more for regional airports, including the Quad-City International Airport in Moline and O’Hare International Airport in Chicago.

See news happening? Share it

Drop us an e-mail at newsroom@qctimes.com or give us a call at (563) 383-2235 if you see breaking news such as house fires, traffic accidents and congestion, road conditions, street closures, detours and water main breaks in the Quad-City region.

Meet the lawmakers

U.S. Sen. David Hartsuch, state representatives Jamie Van Fossen and Linda Miller will be available to meet with constituents from 9 to 10 a.m. today at the three Iowa Quad-City Hy-Vee grocery stores.

Legislators can be found in the dining areas of the three stores: Van Fossen, 1823 East Kimberly Road, Davenport; Miller, 4064 East 53rd St., Davenport; and Hartsuch, 2900 Devils Glen Road, Bettendorf.

Cat Club Show

Looking for a purr-fectly fun time? The Quad-City Cat Club is hosting a show today from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Moline Holiday Inn, 6902 27th St. Cost is $10 families, $4 adults, $3 senior citizens older than 60 years/children 12 years and younger.

Quad-Cities Boat, RV & Vacation Show

Here’s your chance to get out from the cold and dream about those lazy, crazy days of summer. Doors of the Davenport RiverCenter will be open today from 2 p.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday’s show will be from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. with the show wrapping up on Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Honoring King

Augustana College will hold a commemoration of Martin Luther King Jr. at 7 p.m. Saturday at Centennial Hall, 639 38th St., Rock Island. The celebration features the Westbrook Singers performing the keynote address through the spoken word and gospel music. In addition, a community gospel chorus, the Augustana Choir and the Metropolitan Youth Program Drill Team will provide music. Berlinda Tyler-Jamison will serve as mistress of ceremonies, and Jerry Jones from the Martin Luther King Community Center and Lauren Loftin from the NAACP will speak. For more information, visit augustana.edu.

Time to toss the tree

In East Moline, garbage crews will pick up your discarded Christmas tree this week during normal your normal garbage collection day.

In Rock Island free Christmas tree collection continues through Jan 25. Christmas trees should be placed at the normal garbage set-out point on the citizen's normal garbage collection day.

Moline is offering free Christmas tree disposal during the month of January. Christmas trees will be collected when placed with regular garbage on normal collection days.

Early voting in Rock Island County

Residents in Rock Island can vote early in the Feb. 5 primary election. Unlike absentee voting, no excuse is required to vote early. Illinois law requires voters select a party preference in primaries like the Presidential Primary. Only referendums (if there are any in their district) appear on non-partisan ballots. Rock Island County is using a mobile voting trolley which is handicapped-accessible as an early voting site. The trolley will be at the following locations today:

9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., Westwood Terrace 2200 1st Street A, Moline

11 a.m. to noon, Amber Ridge 900 43rd Ave., Moline

1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m., Heartland Park 3609 14th Street Drive, Moline

Voters also can vote at these sites:

-- Rock Island County Clerk’s Office, 1504 3rd Ave., from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Mon. through Fri. and on Jan. 19 and 26 from 9 a.m. to noon.

-- South Moline Township Senior Center, 637 17th Ave., East Moline, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Mon. through Fri. and on Jan. 19 and 26 from 9 a.m. to noon.

Plot a pothole

Had your teeth rattled by a car-eating pothole? First, call the city where the pothole is located. Here are the phone numbers: Davenport: 326-7923; Bettendorf: 344-4088; Moline: 797-0425; Rock Island: 732-2200; East Moline: 752-1573. Second, go online CLICK HERE and add it to our pothole map. Find out where the worst potholes are in the Quad-Cities.

Road work

Here is the latest road construction work in your area.

Henry County

-- Eastbound traffic is restricted to one lane on I-80 at Cleveland Road until December.

-- Drivers on Illinois 78 from 2 miles north of I-80 to Coal Creek should expect lane restrictions during road improvements until December.

Carroll County

-- Eastbound and westbound traffic on U.S. 52 and Illinois 64 from east of Savanna to east of Illinois 78 will be restricted to one lane and controlled by traffic signals until Dec. 1.