A stormy few fall days are ahead across the Chicago area, beginning with waves of widespread showers and storms Tuesday, some with the potential to turn strong to severe towards the afternoon and into the evening.
As of 5:20 a.m. Tuesday, heavy rain and frequent lightning had already begun to develop in areas to the far north and west, including in Woodstock, Crystal Lake and McHenry.
LIVE RADAR: Track heavy rain, frequent lightning as storms continue
According to the NBC 5 Storm Team, widely scattered showers pinwheeling around an area of low pressure will lift from south to north as the morning continues, potentially snarling the Tuesday morning commute. Forecast models show scattered showers are expected to approach Chicago around 8 a.m., with heavy downpours and gusty winds possible through 11 a.m.
Tuesday afternoon however is when more numerous storms are expected to develop, some with the potential to turn severe.
According to NBC 5 Meteorologist Alicia Roman, storms are expected to become more frequent in the early afternoon through evening, beginning at 3 p.m., with storms lifting north around 6 p.m.
Local
During that time frame and into the evening hours, the Chicago area could see "heavy rain, wind and hail, maybe even some funnel clouds," forming, Roman said.
"A brief tornado is possible," Roman added, with the National Weather Service predicting wind gusts of up to 60 miles per hour.
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"The strongest storms may produce up hail up to one inch in diameter, frequent cloud to ground lighting, a brief tornado and localized flooding in low-lying and poor draining areas," the NWS added.
Rain totals are likely to reach upwards of half-an-inch to two inches by Wednesday night, Roman said.
High temperatures on Tuesday will remain in the low 70s, forecast models showed.
Rain and storms are expected to continue overnight and through much of the day Wednesday, with widely scattered on-and-off showers, Roman said. Additionally, temperatures will turn slightly cooler, with highs in the mid 50s to low 60s.
Those showers have a low chance of continuing Thursday morning, before clouds break for the second half of the day, Roman said.
"Finally, this slow moving system will exit by Thursday," Roman said, with more sunshine back in the forecast and temperatures warming through the weekend.
