A low pressure system that’s dumping snow across the Rockies and the Great Plains will soon make its impact felt on the Chicago-area, as high winds and thunderstorms are in the forecast.
The first round of storms will roll through the area on Wednesday night and into Thursday morning, bringing with it gusty winds and potentially heavy rain as a low swirls bands of rain through the area.
Beginning at 10 a.m. Thursday morning, a Wind Advisory will go into effect for most of northern Illinois and Northwest Indiana. DeKalb, Kane, DuPage, Cook, LaSalle, Kendall, Grundy, Will, and Kankakee counties are all impacted by the advisory in Illinois, as are Lake, Porter, Newton, Jasper, and Benton in northwest Indiana.
That advisory will last through 10 p.m. Thursday evening, according to the National Weather Service. Wind speeds in excess of 50 MPH are expected in the southern part of the advisory area, including Kankakee, Will, and Grundy counties, and wind gusts between 45 and 50 MPH are expected elsewhere in the advisory area.
As the wind speeds kick up, another round of thunderstorms will move into the area around the noon hour on Thursday. Some of those storms could potentially be severe, and heavy rains could cause localized flooding as still-frozen soil won’t be able to absorb the water as it falls throughout the day.
In the late evening hours on Thursday, temperatures will begin to drop in the area as the low pressure system continues its push over Chicagoland. By the time Friday rolls around, high temperatures likely won’t reach 40 degrees, as unseasonably cool weather takes hold for several days.
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Over the weekend, sunny skies Saturday will give away to potential drizzle or light snow on Sunday, and temperatures will remain in the high-30s or low-40s over the two days.
