An approaching warm front caused severe thunderstorms to fire in areas west of Chicago on Wednesday afternoon, producing lime-size hail and gusty winds in some areas.
A severe thunderstorm warning has now been issued for parts of Kankakee County.
All other warnings have since expired with the storms, but not before some large hail and gusty winds swept through the area.
Some eye-popping hail measurements were reported in LaSalle County, with some hailstones measuring two inches in diameter. For context, hail of that size is comparable to a lime or a medium-size egg, and can not only cause damage to vehicles and homes but can also injure humans and animals caught outside.
Kendall County saw golf ball-sized hail, as did Kane County and Will County, with a hailstone of 1.5 inches reported in Plainfield.
The threat began to diminish in the late afternoon, though wind gusts in excess of 30 miles per hour and some small hail was still possible as the storms reached the city limits of Chicago.
Local
Wednesday's storms were merely the opening salvo in a turbulent period of weather. Thursday, temperatures are expected to remain warm, and the chance for severe weather is higher, forecast models show. According to the NBC 5 Storm Team, the chance for precipitation Thursday increases to 80 percent, with the entire area at a "marginal" risk of severe storms.
Counties to the west are most likely to be impacted by Thursday's system when a line of storms is expected to move into the area in the afternoon and into the evening, forecast models show.
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According to forecast models, the main threats Thursday includes large hail and damaging winds of up to 60 miles per hour.
Temperatures will start to cool into Friday, with highs reaching into the low-60s. Saturday and Sunday, temperatures are expected to cool even more, with highs in the 40s, and another chance for rain Saturday.
