It could be a messy commute for Chicago-area residents Tuesday morning, as a severe thunderstorm threat could bring the risk of heavy rains, damaging winds and even tornadoes to the region.
Before those storms arrive, a severe thunderstorm warning was issued for western Lake County and southeastern McHenry County until 2:15 a.m., according to the National Weather Service.
Storms located near Woodstock were moving to the east at 25 miles per hour, packing heavy rain and quarter-size hail, according to officials.
Earlier warnings were allowed to expire, but not before 3-to-6 inches of rain fell in some locations in the south suburbs.
As a result, flash flood warnings are also in effect for southeastern DeKalb County, southwestern Kane County, all of Kendall County and west-central Will County until 3:45 a.m.
Storms could potentially dump an additional 1-to-3 inches of rain before moving out of the area, with 1-to-3 inches already having fallen in those areas.
After those storms move out, another round could bring more severe weather to the region. According to the Storm Prediction Center, Kenosha County in Wisconsin and McHenry and Lake counties in Illinois are at an “enhanced” risk of severe weather in the early hours of Tuesday morning. The rest of the Chicago area is at a “slight” risk of severe storms, according to officials.
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Those storms could start arriving before sunrise as a system pushes southward out of Minnesota and Wisconsin, forecasters warn.
The biggest threats from the storms could come in the form of damaging winds, with gusts up to 70 miles per hour possible. There is also a risk of heavy rain and localized flooding, along with a chance of tornadoes, according to the NBC 5 Storm Team.
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Elsewhere in the area, an isolated tornado threat is present, along with chances of heavy rain, gusty winds and some hail.
Those storms could push through by 7 a.m., but additional pop-up storms are still possible even after the main lines move through the area, according to the Storm Team forecast.
NOTE: We will update this story with additional details when the NBC 5 Storm Team releases new model data at approximately 9:30 p.m.
After those storms pass, the Chicago area could see hot and humid conditions Tuesday, with highs in the 90s and heat indices approaching 100 degrees, according to forecast models.
Those conditions could help fuel additional storms as the front arrives Tuesday evening, with strong-to-severe storms once again possible.
Another set of storms could also fire on Wednesday morning, though the strength of those storms is unclear at this time.
