In case you haven't noticed, it's windy out there. Very windy. According to the National Weather Service, a wind advisory -- with strong sustained winds of 20-to-25 miles per hour and gusts up to 50 miles per hour -- is in place for the entire Chicago area through noon.
But that's just the beginning. As this storm system moves out, another one bringing dropping temperatures, freezing rain and snow accumulations will move in overnight Wednesday into Thursday.
Wednesday morning, the gusts were powerful, with the strongest ones expected to continue throughout the morning commute, between the hours of 6 a.m. and 10 a.m., the NBC 5 Storm Team says.
At Mount Carmel High School in Chicago's Woodlawn neighborhood, classes were canceled due to a downed tree that caused a power outage "throughout parts of its campus", administrators said in a Facebook post.
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Early Wednesday, winds at O'Hare airport clocked in at around 36 mph. But closer to 9 a.m., winds had picked up considerably, with gusts clocking in close to 60 mph in some areas. Here's a look at peak wind gusts across the area, as recorded by the NWS around 8:45 a.m.:
- Rockford Airport: 59 mph
- Herbert; 59 mph
- Deerfield: 58 mph
- Midway International Airport: 56 mph
- Chicago O'Hare: 55 mph
- Valparaiso: 55 mph
According to the NBC 5 Storm Team, winds in McHenry and Lake counties eventually clocked in at around 60 mph. At Midway, 65 mph winds were recorded.
Additionally, Wednesday's warm high of around 50 degrees was hit in the wee morning hours, and temperatures are expected fall to the mid 30s to low 40s by 4 p.m., forecast models show.
Thursday
Local
Winter will make a rather abrupt return to Chicago late Wednesday night into Thursday, the NBC 5 Storm Team says, as a winter weather watch for north central and northeast Illinois will go into effect at 3 a.m. and continue through 9 p.m. Thursday.
According to the National Weather Service, a wintery mix of freezing rain, sleet and winds gusting as high as 40 mph are likely to create slippery, potentially hazardous travel conditions for much of the Chicago area, during both the Thursday morning and evening commutes.
In Lake and McHenry counties, a winter storm watch will go into effect at 3 a.m., with winds of up to 40 mph and the potential for heavy snow accumulations between three and six inches. Total accumulations could exceed six inches in some places, along with minor ice accumulations.
DeKalb, DuPage, Kane, Kendall and Lasalle counties could see between two and four inches of accumulation.
According to the NBC 5 Storm team, the snow is expected to begin after the morning commute, potentially snarling roads as drivers hit the roads in the afternoon.
Additionally, temperatures are expected to fall below freezing by Thursday night, with highs in the low-to-mid 30s.
Friday Through the Weekend
As that system moves out, even colder temperatures expected Friday, with below-average highs in the upper-20s throughout the Chicago area.
But there's some good news, too: High temperatures will rebound quickly over President's Day weekend, with sun and highs rising back into the 40s by Saturday. According to the NBC 5 Storm Team, temperatures are expected to remain in the 40s through Sunday.
