Science & Nature
Baseball-Size Hail Is in Play as Severe Storms Bear Down on Northern Illinois Tuesday
(Thomas Campone / iStock)
Severe thunderstorms are expected throughout northeast Illinois late Tuesday afternoon into the evening, bringing with them the threat for damaging hail and winds, flash flooding and possible tornadoes south of the I-80 corridor, according to the National Weather Service.
It could be a rough evening commute, as storms develop in Chicago primarily after 5 p.m. and continue through 11 p.m. or midnight, the weather service said.
The main concern for Chicagoans will be large hail — possibly more than 2 inches in diameter — and the potential for urban flooding. Wind gusts could top 60 miles per hour.
For folks south of I-80, “all severe weather hazards are possible,” the weather service said, including strong tornadoes in areas including Pontiac and Kankakee.
Because the zone where tornadoes could strike is difficult to pinpoint precisely, the weather service offered a rule of thumb: If it feels like summer outside at 6 or 7 p.m., you're in the danger zone. If it's chilly out, you're north of the threat.
By mid-afternoon, temperatures had already crashed in the Chicago region, dipping into the 30s and 40s. South of the approaching storm front, communities still enjoyed temperatures in the 60s and 70s.
During an afternoon briefing, Ricky Castro, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service Chicago-Romeoville office, advised people not to let their guard down just because they're not in the tornado threat zone.
“The hail is no joke here,” Castro said, adding that destructive “baseball-sized” hail is “in play here today.”
Though the largest of the ice balls aren't likely to fall in Chicago proper, a flood watch is in effect for the city.
In anticipation of heavy rains, the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago issued an overflow action alert. Under the alert, residents are encouraged to hold off on activities such as laundry, showering and running dishwashers in order to ease the burden on the region's combined sewer system, which carries storm water and wastewater in the same pipes.
(National Weather Service)
While the thunderstorms will clear out overnight, periods of rain remain in the forecast for Wednesday morning, possibly turning to light snow.
After a balmy start to the week, a cold front will move in Thursday night into Friday, bringing windy conditions and chillier temperatures.
Contact Patty Wetli: [email protected]
