Chicago, Illinois – A historic weather event has officially come to an end Thursday night after the National Weather Service issued the first-ever Dust Storm Warning to include the Chicago metro — bringing blinding dust, near-zero visibility, and wind gusts topping 60 mph across northern Illinois.
According to the NWS Chicago office, the warning expired at 9 p.m. CDT after strong winds from central Illinois thunderstorms surged northward, lifting dust from dry farmland into the air and pushing it directly into the metro area. The result: sudden whiteout-like driving conditions in cities like Joliet, Elgin, DeKalb, and Valparaiso.
The dust storm, only the second warning of its kind ever issued by NWS Chicago (the first occurred in May 2023), created widespread travel hazards and prompted emergency alerts across several counties. Isolated thunderstorms added to the threat with lightning and pockets of damaging winds.
No additional warnings are expected tonight, and forecasters say conditions should settle heading into the weekend. Still, residents are urged to stay weather-aware, especially during spring storm season, when high winds and dry ground can lead to fast-developing hazards.
