Bringing an umbrella might be a good idea for voters heading to the polls on Election Day, with continued soggy conditions and gusty winds throughout the majority of the Chicago area.
Persistent rain throughout the daytime will be accompanied by strong and gusty southerly winds, with gusts up to 40 miles per hour across Chicago and northern counties -- and even higher gusts elsewhere. The National Weather Service issued a wind advisory for Grundy, Kankakee, southern Cook, and Will counties in Illinois, as well as Lake, Porter, Newton and Jasper counties in northwest Indiana, warning of gusts up to 45 miles per hour from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday.
Gusty winds could blow around unsecured objects, tree limbs could be blown down and a few power outages are possible, according to the NWS. Low temperatures will be unusually warm for this time of year, as southwest winds pump in mild air -- causing only a slight drop in temperatures to the low 60s.
The heaviest rain will occur before the most intense winds arrive. Widespread showers and embedded thunderstorms are expected to produce 1 to 2 inches across most of the area in the overnight hours, with the heaviest rain likely around midnight.
Some areas might receive heavy rain that could create localized flooding, the NWS stated. More rain will occur at times in the daytime hours -- with less intensity than overnight -- before clearing out in the late afternoon, according to NBC 5 Storm Team meteorologist Pete Sack.
When all is said and done, local amounts of between 2 to 5 inches of rainfall are possible, according to meteorologists. Heavy rainfall could flood roads, low-lying areas, fields and cause rapid rises on streams and creeks, the NWS stated.
Everything will likely be much quieter once Tuesday is in the books; clear conditions and sunshine are on top for Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and part of Saturday.
It won't be as warm, however, with temperatures slightly cooler in the upper 50s, compared to the upper 60s on Tuesday. Despite the cooler weather, conditions will still be warmer than usual for this time of year, Sack said.
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