According to NBC 5 Storm Team Meteorologist Kevin Jeanes, there have been reports of an orange or yellow sky after the initial round of rain and thunderstorms in some portions of the area
Many were quick to notice an unusual amount of dirt on their cars and windows as severe storms made their way out of the Chicago area Wednesday evening.
Images of dust and dirt-covered vehicles began popping up on social media as commenters questioned why thing suddenly appeared so dirty.
"I have a white car and there’s brown spots all over my car from this rain," one person wrote on reddit Wednesday.
"Legit just thought someone threw a coffee on my white truck about an hour ago," another user commented.
"You’re not nuts. Each windshield wipe looked like half milk half water," another wrote.
So what happened?
Turns out, the strong storms moving across the area kicked up dust that led to "dirty" rainwater pouring down in some locations, according to NBC 5 Storm Team Meteorologist Kevin Jeanes. Add to it, the storms dragged smoke from wildfires south of Illinois along with them.
At one point, a dust advisory was issued by the National Weather Service as winds of up to 50 miles per hour caused blowing dust for parts of the region.
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The satellite image below shows the dust as it moved in late Wednesday afternoon.
The storms sparked tornado watches and warnings for several counties, with many experiencing strong-to-severe storms.
