Update 6:50
Drier air has pushed into the Chicago area ending the threat of severe weather here. Dew points which had climbed well into the very uncomfortable 70s are now plunging through the 60s on their way to the 50s.
The National Weather Service has canceled the severe thunderstorm watch that was issued earlier today. Last night's severe thunderstorms weakened as they reached southeast Wisconsin never making it into northeast Illinois. Today's storms developed mainly to the south and east of the metro area leaving it large unscathed by severe weather.
Dry weather is expected on Friday with very warm temperatures, but lower humidity will make it feel much more comfortable.
Update 5:35 p.m.
The severe thunderstorm watch has now been canceled for Will, Grundy and Livingston counties in northeast Illinois but will continue until 9 p.m. for areas south and east of Chicago in central Illinois and northwest Indiana. Drier air continues to spread southeast into the Chicago area, lowering dew points. That makes it feel much more comfortable and also diminishes the threat of thunderstorm formation this evening.
Update 4:55 p.m.
A few thunderstorms roaming areas south and east of Chicago this evening as drier air moves into the area bringing a gradual end to the severe thunderstorm threat, While a severe thunderstorm watch remains in effect for portions of central Illinois (it was cancelled for Kendall and LaSalle counties) and northwest Indiana until 9 p.m. CDT, indications are strong that it may be canceled sooner. One thunderstorm was in far southern Iroquois County north of Hoopeston while another was in northwest Indiana near DeMotte.
Updates from Tom Skilling and Mike Hamernik, 3:20 p.m.
A severe thunderstorm watch is in effect until 9 p.m. for areas along and south of Interstate Highway 80.
Chicago-area counties included in the watch are Will, Kankakee, Grundy and Kendall in Illinois and La Porte, Porter, and Lake in Indiana.
Radar indicates a shower cluster has just cropped up on the Lake Michigan shoreline in Cook County and moved out over the lake southeast of Evanston. This could be the beginning of scattered thunderstorm development. Models depict high energy levels there.
Additional thunderstorm development may occur, then settle south this evening, clearing much of the city (except some south suburbs) of any rain threat this evening.
As of 12:45 p.m., the majority of the thunderstorm activity was well to the south of the Chicago area, stretching from Springfield to Lafayette, Ind. However, a cold front will be pushing through the metro region between 1 and 4 p.m. Thunderstorm development is possible along the front, but is in no way guaranteed. Any storms that materialize could turn severe.
Powerful thunderstorms with tops to 55,000 feet at 1:05 p.m. produced prolific lightning -- 9,400 cloud-to-ground strokes in an hour earlier today -- and extend from north of Mattoon to Fowler, Ind., on to Logansport and Warsaw in Indiana, well to the south of Chicago.
Severe thunderstorm watch area is outlined in blue:
Leave a comment