Chicago, Illinois – Periods of showers and thunderstorms are expected across northern Illinois Friday and into early Saturday as a storm system moves through the region.
According to the National Weather Service in Chicago, multiple waves of storms will move across the area beginning Friday morning and continuing into Saturday morning.
The highest coverage of storms during the morning hours is expected northwest of Interstate 55, including communities such as Rockford, DeKalb, and Dixon.
These early storms could bring locally heavy rainfall, gusty winds, and small hail, though forecasters say a brief instance of quarter-sized hail cannot be ruled out.
Later Friday afternoon and evening, storm development becomes more uncertain, but isolated to widely scattered thunderstorms could still develop across parts of northern Illinois.
If stronger storms form during the afternoon or evening hours, damaging wind gusts and larger hail could occur, and a brief tornado cannot be completely ruled out, according to meteorologists.
Communities including Chicago, Aurora, Joliet, Elgin, and Waukegan could see changing weather conditions as storms move across the region.
Drivers traveling along major highways such as Interstate 90, Interstate 94, Interstate 55, and Interstate 88 may encounter brief heavy rain, lightning, and reduced visibility during stronger storm cells.
Storms are expected to continue overnight, with scattered to numerous showers and thunderstorms possible between about 1 a.m. and 9 a.m. Saturday.
The main overnight hazards include heavy rain, wind gusts up to 50 mph, and small hail, though the overall severe threat remains relatively low.
Residents across the Chicago metro area are encouraged to monitor weather updates and be prepared for changing conditions throughout the day and overnight.
Conditions should gradually improve after the final wave of storms moves through Saturday morning.
