The Chicago area could see a severe thunderstorm Thursday, with risks of large hail and damaging winds.
Just as the weather was starting to warm up, a cold front is expected to pass through northern Illinois and northwest Indiana Thursday afternoon creating conditions for a severe thunderstorm category three out of five, the National Weather Service said.
A severe weather threat was issued Wednesday by the NWS warning of “damaging” hail around 2-inches in diameter and strong winds at 60 mph with some possibilities of tornadoes particularly near and south of Interstate 80 from about 3 to 9 pm.
Temperatures are expected to drop rapidly from the 60s around lunchtime Thursday to the 40s within a few hours.
“This front is going to be moving pretty quickly and dropping temperatures pretty quickly behind it,” said David King, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service.
The main concern is damaging hail winds that could potentially down tree limbs, King said.
NWS could not “completely rule out” tornadoes, but their likelihood was further south of Chicago and Interstate 80, King said.
Babies unburdened by layers of jackets were seen pushed in strollers on Wednesday as temperatures hit around 70 degrees. Temperatures are expected to kick back into warmer spring weather Sunday.
