Most of the Chicago area is facing a threat of severe weather on Tuesday morning, with hail, gusty winds and even brief tornadoes all possible across the region.
According to the Storm Prediction Center, northwest Indiana is at a “slight” risk of severe weather, the second of five levels the center uses to predict severe storms.
Most of northeastern Illinois is at a “marginal” risk of severe weather, the first of the five levels.
According to the NBC 5 Storm Team, Monday will continue to be sunny, but a system bringing strong-to-severe thunderstorms to the Great Plains will push its way into Illinois overnight, paving the way for showers and thunderstorms to roll in early Tuesday morning.
The bulk of that storm activity is expected to pass through the Chicago area during the Tuesday morning commute, with thunderstorm development possible as it sweeps through to the northeast.
The main threats appear to be hail and gusty winds, but forecasters say that a “brief tornado or two” cannot be ruled out.
The tornado threat is expected to grow as the system moves towards eastern Indiana and western Ohio, with those regions at an “enhanced” risk of severe weather on Tuesday afternoon.
The Chicago area will again face a threat of severe weather on Wednesday. According to the Storm Prediction Center, most of the area will be at a “marginal” risk of the powerful storms, but parts of Kankakee County in Illinois and Newton and Jasper counties in Indiana are at the very northern end of a wide swath that are considered to be at a “slight” risk.
Again, all severe weather threats are possible with any storms that develop, including hail and gusty winds.
Cooler temperatures are expected to take hold in the area later in the week, with occasional chances for showers still popping up in the forecast.
Stay tuned to the NBC 5 Storm Team for all the latest weather news and information as the system approaches.