A line of thunderstorms swept through the Chicago area on Wednesday afternoon, bringing with it heavy rain and gusty winds that left nearly 4,000 utility customers without power.
According to ComEd, at least 3,500 customers were left without power as of 6 p.m. Wednesday due to high winds and severe storms that swept through the area.
A cold front propelling the storms is expected to bring cooler-than-average temperatures along with it late Wednesday, but the winds will likely stick around even after the system departs the region, with a wind advisory remaining in effect through Thursday evening.
The line of storms didn’t pack the severe punch that some initial forecasts had predicted, with showers and storms during the morning hours likely stabilizing the atmosphere, but there was one severe thunderstorm warning that was issued in parts of Kendall and Will counties.
That storm cell created wind gusts of nearly 60 miles per hour, knocking over a semi-trailer in Wilton Center and knocking down tree branches in other locations, according to the National Weather Service.
After the storm system moves out of the region, it will leave behind cooler-than-average temperatures and partly-to-mostly cloudy skies in coming days. Thursday will see wind gusts in excess of 30 miles per hour, along with high temperatures in the low-to-mid 50s across the region.
Friday will still see mostly cloudy skies, with temperatures rising into the mid-to-upper 50s before another cooldown leaves temperatures in the 40s in some locations over the weekend.
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