The Chicago area could see some unsettled weather and warmer temperatures this week, including a chance for severe thunderstorms.
After a cloudy and windy Monday, winds are expected to ease on Tuesday, but there will be several chances for showers and thunderstorms during the day.
The Storm Prediction Center says a good portion of the Chicago area is at a “marginal” risk of severe storms Tuesday, the first of five levels on their scale. The area impacted by that risk is largely north of Interstate 80, and includes McHenry, Lake, DeKalb, Kane, DuPage, Cook, LaSalle and Kendall counties.
Other parts of the Chicago area could still see showers and thunderstorms at multiple points during the day, with the first round coming through early in the morning and the second round arriving in the evening hours.
The main threats with any strong-to-severe storms that develop would be damaging hail, according to the SPC, though gusty winds and heavy downpours can’t be ruled out.
High temperatures Tuesday are expected to be warmer as well, with readings in the mid-to-upper 60s, according to the NBC 5 Storm Team.
More isolated thunderstorms are possible in the area on Wednesday, though the Storm Prediction Center isn’t anticipating any severe weather at this time. High temperatures will be warmer still, rising into the low-70s.
Thursday will likely be the best weather day of the week, with partly-to-mostly sunny skies and high temperatures in the mid-to-upper 70s, according to forecast models.
Showers and thunderstorms are expected to return to the forecast Friday, though severe weather is not in the forecast at this time according to the SPC and the NBC 5 Storm Team. The accompanying cold front will drop temperatures significantly heading into the weekend, with highs only expected to reach the low-to-mid 50s on Saturday before slowly warming again.
Be sure to stay tuned to the NBC 5 Storm Team for the latest updates, and download the NBC Chicago app for live weather alerts sent straight to your phone, as well as an interactive radar so you can track storms as they approach.