Conditions ‘Favorable' for Development of Largely-Harmless Funnel Clouds in Northern Illinois, Northwest Indiana

The National Weather Service has issued a special weather statement, warning residents in Illinois and northwest Indiana that funnel clouds could potentially develop as a cold front slowly churns its way over the region on Thursday evening.

The alert has been issued for residents in DeKalb, LaSalle, Kendall, Grundy, Will and Kankakee counties in Illinois, along with residents in Lake, Porter, Newton and Jasper counties in Indiana.

According to the alert, conditions in the atmosphere are “favorable” for the development of largely-harmless funnel clouds, which typically descend just a few hundred feet down from the clouds.

Those clouds will then spin like a top and generally last just a few minutes before dissipating.

It is very rare that the funnels touch the ground, and typically “don’t pos any sort of hazard,” according to the alert.

Still, forecasters are urging the public to keep an eye on the skies, at least through the evening hours, with sunset likely robbing those funnel clouds of the energy to develop.