CHICAGO — A wave of scattered thunderstorms is moving through the Chicago area Thursday night, bringing heavy rain, gusty winds, and the potential for hail as part of a larger system triggering severe weather alerts across northern Illinois.
ABC7 meteorologists have issued an AccuWeather Alert for both Thursday and Friday, as the region remains under threat for localized flash flooding and damaging storms.
Flood watch in effect, storms sweeping through overnight
A Flood Watch has been issued for a wide swath of the region—including Cook, DuPage, DeKalb, Kane, Kendall, McHenry, and Will counties—and will remain in effect until 7 a.m. Friday. The primary concern overnight is excessive rainfall, which could overwhelm storm drains and lead to flash flooding in some neighborhoods.
A Severe Thunderstorm Warning was briefly in effect for LaSalle County until 12:30 a.m. Friday, but that has since expired, along with other warnings issued earlier in the evening. Still, forecasters say the risk isn’t over.
The Storm Prediction Center placed most of the Chicago metro under a Level 1 (Marginal Risk) for severe storms on Thursday, with that risk increasing to Level 2 (Slight Risk) for Friday. The setup brings the potential for heavy downpours, wind gusts over 50 mph, hail, and even a brief, isolated tornado, though the tornado threat remains low.
Another round of storms expected Friday evening
While this initial system is expected to move out by Friday morning, another round of thunderstorms is forecast to develop by Friday evening, possibly impacting the evening commute and outdoor plans.
The Chicago White Sox were forced to postpone their game against the Cleveland Guardians Thursday due to rain. The teams will now play a doubleheader on Friday at 2:10 p.m. and 7:10 p.m. at Guaranteed Rate Field. Meanwhile, the Windy City Smokeout festival outside the United Center experienced a brief evacuation due to the weather.
Residents across northeastern Illinois are encouraged to monitor Live Doppler Radar for the latest updates as storms continue tracking across Cook, Lake, DuPage, Kane, Will, and McHenry counties, as well as parts of Northwest Indiana.
