Timing: What to expect and when with Chicago-area storms
Thunderstorms capable of becoming severe could make their way into the Chicago area Wednesday, bringing threats of hail, heavy rain, damaging winds and lightning.
The line of storms will move across northern Illinois and northwest Indiana for several hours with only a brief break before another round moves in.
Here's what to expect and when:
Latest severe weather alerts:
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A severe thunderstorm warning has been issued for eastern Lake County, all of Porter County and northern Jasper County in Indiana until 8 p.m. Wind gusts and considerable tree damage are possible with the storms.
Another warning has been issued for southeast Cook County, southeastern Will County, and northeastern Kankakee County, all in Illinois, and Lake County in Indiana until 7:30 p.m. Wind gusts in excess of 70 miles per hour are possible as the storm speeds across the region.
A flash flood warning has been issued for central and southern Cook County until 10 p.m., with several inches of rain possible.
A flood watch is also in effect for DuPage and Cook counties between 2 p.m. and 9 p.m.
Meanwhile, an air quality alert remains in effect for the entire region until midnight.
Wednesday afternoon
The National Weather Service reported strong-to-severe storms could continue firing as the afternoon wears on.
Damaging wind gusts and heavy downpours will be the biggest threat with these storms, which are expected to be widespread across the area. Quarter-sized hail, damaging wind gusts up to 60 miles per hour, frequent lightning and localized heavy rainfall are all possible, the NWS said.
The entire Chicago area is under a "slight" risk for severe weather. According to the Storm Prediction Center, "slight" clocks in at level two on a five-level scale that ranges from "marginal" to "high."
Thunderstorms are likely Wednesday afternoon and evening. Thunderstorms will be capable of producing frequent lightning and locally heavy rainfall. Some of the storms could be severe, capable of producing damaging winds and possibly some hail as well. #ILwx #INwx pic.twitter.com/4niZItX03N — NWS Chicago (@NWSChicago) July 5, 2023
ComEd "proactively opened its Emergency Operations Center and is readying crews and equipment to meet any impact from the weather."
“Extreme weather resulting from climate change continues to impact our service territory but we are ready to meet these challenges,” Dave Perez, senior vice-president of Distribution Operations for ComEd, said in a statement. “Our customers and communities depend on reliable energy to power their lives and livelihoods and we will be working around the clock to restore anyone impacted by the weather moving into northern Illinois.”
A flood watch is also in effect for DuPage and Cook counties between 2 p.m. and 9 p.m.
Warm and humid conditions ahead of the storms are expected, with temperatures in the upper 80s to low 90s, with afternoon heat indices reaching into the mid 90s in some spots, the NWS says.
Meanwhile, an air quality alert remains in effect for the region.
"Ozone and particulate level are expected to be at unhealthy levels for sensitive groups," a tweet from the NWS said. "Limit prolonged outdoor activity if you have a chronic respiratory issue."
Wednesday evening
The stormy conditions are expected to linger through around 10 p.m., though the bigger threat will likely last through at least 8 p.m., according to NWS.
Gusty storms will continues across the Chicago Metro as well as NW IL. Additional storms could develop in the green area thru 5 PM ahead of a cold front which will bring an increasing coverage in storms into the area thru 8 PM. Heavy downpours are also possible w/ these storms. pic.twitter.com/G3dFmG1MQy — NWS Chicago (@NWSChicago) July 5, 2023
The air quality alert is in effect through midnight, however.
Though some may see things dry up in the late evening and overnight hours, the chance for lingering showers will continue.
Thursday morning and afternoon
The chance for storms continues into Thursday morning, particularly for areas east of the I-55 corridor in Illinois and northwest Indiana, with conditions clearing in the afternoon.
Temperatures Thursday and into the weekend are expected to lower as a cold front moves through, with highs in the mid 70s to low 80s.
Friday and the weekend
Despite a brief break between Thursday night and Friday morning, rain and storm chances return again ahead of the weekend.
Potential showers could return by late Friday evening and continue into both Saturday and Sunday.
Source: NBC Chicago
