The Chicago area could face the threat of severe weather in coming days, and its arrival could be ill-timed for those hoping for a restful night’s sleep.
According to the Storm Prediction Center, all of Illinois and a part of western Indiana will be at a “slight” risk of severe thunderstorms late Thursday and into Friday morning, with the worst of the storms potentially arriving during the overnight hours.
All manner of severe weather threats could be in play with storms as they swoop into the area, including heavy rain, gusty winds, large hail and even isolated tornadoes, according to the SPC.
Before that occurs, the Chicago area will have to deal with warm temperatures and increasing humidity on Wednesday, with highs soaring into the mid-to-upper 80s and dewpoints slowly rising throughout the afternoon and into the early evening hours, according to the NBC 5 Storm Team.
Late Wednesday, a round of showers and thunderstorms are expected to begin pushing into the Chicago area, with potential impacts for the Thursday morning commute as the heaviest of the rain arrives near daybreak, according to forecast models.
While it’s not expected that storms will reach severe limits, some heavy rain and gusty winds could still occur.
Widely scattered showers are also going to be possible Thursday afternoon, but most of the area should remain dry, with highs around 80 degrees.
The main event is expected to take place late Thursday and into Friday morning with another wave of showers and thunderstorms. During this wave, heavy rain is expected, along with the potential for the development of strong-to-severe thunderstorms.
Storms that hit severe thresholds could pack wind gusts of up to 60 miles per hour and some hail, with a threat of isolated tornadoes also on the table.
Friday morning will dawn with some showers still sticking around the area, but most of the rain should clear out by the noon hour. The low-pressure system causing that rain will throw another round of showers and storms at parts of Indiana and perhaps far-eastern Illinois on Saturday before moving out of the area.
Once it does, Sunday is expected to be pleasant, with highs in the low-80s across most of the region.
Stay tuned to the NBC 5 Storm Team for all the latest developments, and for live push alerts sent to your mobile device, download the NBC Chicago app.