One day after a series of severe thunderstorms brought large hail and gusty winds to the Chicago area, an even-more potent system could be on the way for Thursday.
The National Weather Service’s Storm Prediction Center has the Chicago area, as well as northwest Indiana, at a “marginal” risk of severe storms on Thursday.
The main threats with the storms will be heavy rainfall and gusty winds, with some potentially exceeding 60 miles per hour. There is a limited risk of hail, and a “non-zero” threat of tornadoes from the storms.
Here is what we know about how the system should arrive in the area.
Early Morning
While the bulk of the showers and thunderstorms are expected to develop later in the day, some storms could still fire during the morning commute on Thursday, especially in areas north of Interstate 80.
Current forecast models paint storms forming over the city of Chicago in those hours, with heavy rain and gusty winds possible.
Late Morning:
Showers are expected to become more widespread as the morning moves along, with areas both north and south of Interstate 80 potentially feeling the effects of the coming cold front.
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Early to Mid-Afternoon:
Another round of storms is expected to start firing ahead of the cold front after the noon hour, with fairly widespread coverage of showers and storms expected to occur as the day moves along.
Mid-to-Late Afternoon:
Local
Storms continue to spread across the area, with the threat of severe weather increasing throughout the afternoon.
The main threats will be gusty winds and heavy downpours, though a tornado cannot be ruled out at this time.
Late Afternoon to Early Evening:
While most of the storm coverage will be limited to the northern side of Interstate 80 during the early afternoon, storms are expected to build south of that line as well, with the same threats as other areas could face.
The storms could potentially start to impact the evening commute, especially on north-south roadways, with crosswinds potentially impacting high-profile vehicles.
Evening:
The main event of the storms will likely begin after 7 p.m. across the area, with showers and thunderstorms moving from west-to-east at a high-rate of speed.
Northwest Indiana will also be under the gun from the storms as they move out of Illinois.
