Unsettled weather could potentially target parts of Illinois and Indiana in coming days, with the threat of large hail, dangerous winds and even tornadoes potentially looming in the forecast for Wednesday.
According to the Storm Prediction Center, most of the state will face a “marginal” risk of severe weather on Tuesday, as a cold front begins to approach the region.
By Wednesday, that threat will increase, with several northern counties facing a “slight” risk of severe weather and most southern counties and most of northwest Indiana facing an “enhanced” risk of severe storms.
According to maps published by the SPC, McHenry, Lake, DeKalb, Kane, DuPage and Cook counties are currently in the “slight,” or second-lowest, risk category for severe weather. Parts of LaSalle, Kendall, Grundy, Will and Kankakee counties are under an “enhanced” risk of severe storms, as are Lake, Porter, Newton and Jasper counties in Indiana.
Feeling out of the loop? We'll catch you up on the Chicago news you need to know. Sign up for the weekly Chicago Catch-Up newsletter here.
Large-to-very-large hail could potentially be generated by the storms, along with damaging straight-line winds and even some tornadoes.
There is still uncertainty about the path, and the severity, of those storms as the cold front moves through the area, with the storm track potentially shifting southward in coming days. There is also a possibility that atmospheric conditions may not be ripe for severe storms, according to NBC 5 meteorologists.
Updated forecast models will continue to emerge, and those updates can be found on the NBC 5 app during the lead-up to Wednesday.
Local
After the cold front moves through the area, windy conditions will persist, but temperatures will also cool and the chance of rain will decrease considerably for several days.
