Multiple tornado warnings were issued Wednesday as severe storms ripped through some Chicago suburbs. NBC Chicago’s Randy Gyllenhaal reports.
A whirlwind of weather in the Chicago area that has seen summer-like temperatures, two sets of tornadic storms, damaging winds and snowfall is poised to continue after Wednesday's round of severe weather.
Following a system of strong storms that has spawned tornado warnings in multiple Chicago-area counties and elsewhere in the Midwest, a significant temperature drop opens the door for more snowfall.
While severe storms cleared the area by the mid-evening hours, rainfall is likely to continue as the night progresses, with falling temperatures likely turning rain to snow in parts of the region.
This switch to snow is likely to begin not long after midnight, with a wintry mix likely forming around this time before a switch to all snow by around 2 a.m., as temperatures fall to the mid 30s.
A band of snow could lead to hazardous travel in the overnight hours, with rate of an inch of snow per hour possible for brief periods.
These conditions are expected to begin impacting LaSalle County by midnight, moving into the city of Chicago by 3 a.m.
Snowfall may continue well into the morning commute as temperatures are expected to hover around freezing, potentially bringing hazardous road conditions to area expressways. If accumulations are higher than expected, blowing snow could also complicate travel in the early morning hours.
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Though snowfall is expected to taper off by the mid-morning, temperatures are not expected to rise much on Thursday, with highs in the low 40s before temperatures warm back up Friday.
That rise in temperatures will likely be short-lived however, with forecasted highs in the low-to-mid 40s for the upcoming weekend.
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