Thunderstorms were slated to return in the Chicago area Monday, with downpours expected in the afternoon and evening hours, adding to several inches of rain in most areas.
According to doppler-indicated estimates, rainfall totals since Thursday range from between 1 and 2 inches in far northern counties and between 3 and more than 5 inches across much of the metro area and northwest Indiana.
A flash flood watch continues through 7 p.m. Tuesday for most of the area, including northwest Indiana, with the exception of Lake (Illinois), McHenry and DeKalb, which have seen less rain and experienced the worst drought conditions.
Feeling out of the loop? We'll catch you up on the Chicago news you need to know. Sign up for the weekly Chicago Catch-Up newsletter here.
There likely will be dry hours in between clusters of thunderstorms in the next 48 hours as waves move from the southwest to northeast, but these storms are capable of producing torrential downpours in excess of an inch per hour.
The threat for severe weather remains low with a low-end potential for wind gusts up to 60 mph. The area is currently in a marginal risk on Tuesday.
Mid-week, the Chicago area likely will see cooler, drier air conditions through the end of the week thanks to the passage of two cold fronts.
Local
While models vary for the upcoming Fourth of July weekend, it likely will remain mainly dry with a gradual warming trend.
Last weekend the National Weather Service confirmed that two tornadoes touched down in the Chicago area Saturday during storms that pummeled the region, resulting in power outages and causing widespread flooding.
One tornado, an EF-0, occurred in Crete in the afternoon hours, with estimated peak winds of 70 miles per hour. A second EF-0 tornado, with estimated peak winds of 75 miles per hour, was reported in Dyer and Schererville, Indiana.
Chatsworth, a town in Livingston County, also saw an EF-0 tornado Saturday that brought wind speeds of up to 80 miles per hour.
Just days earlier, an EF-3 tornado, packing wind speeds of up to 140 miles per hour, touched down in west suburban Naperville and Woodridge, resulting in more than a dozen injuries and hundreds of damaged homes.
