The much-heralded cold front is moving southeast across Wisconsin and forecast to pass through the Chicago area early this afternoon. Ahead of the front in the Chicago area, winds will be out of the southwest and clouds will be thickening up with an imbedded band of showers/possibly a thunderstorm or two. Despite the cloudiness, temperatures will push 70-degrees just ahead of the front. Behind the front winds will shift almost immediately to the northwest and strengthen quickly. Steady winds of 25 to 30 mph with gusts in excess of 45 mph along with falling temperatures are likely later this afternoon into the nighttime hours. Storm warnings are up for Lake Michigan where winds will be stronger with gusts to 60 mph or greater - creating waves 20 feet or higher.
There will be greater heating just to our east, and due to the strong dynamics of the front and associated trough aloft, a band of thunderstorms could become severe as the front moves into lower Michigan and Indiana this afternoon. The National Storm Prediction Center has placed southern Lake Michigan and much of Lower Michigan, Indiana and Ohio in the slight risk of severe storms category - primarily for the threat of damaging winds.
