The Chicago area could experience multiple rounds of storms on Tuesday, beginning with gusty, non-severe showers in the early morning followed by additional storms in the daytime as a cold front passes through.
Overnight Monday into Tuesday, temperatures are expected to sit in the 60s, ahead of daytime highs, which could rise into the low 80s.
According to NBC 5 Storm Team Chief Meteorologist Brant Miller, a cold front will bring a little more stability in the atmosphere and cooler air off Lake Michigan.
“You’ll see that collar of cool around Lake Michigan once again as the winds turn off the lake,” he said on the NBC 5 News at 6 p.m.
While the Chicago area had been under a slight risk for severe weather, the Storm Prediction Center downgraded the region to a marginal risk, which is level 1 out of 5. The National Weather Service said a few storms could be strong to severe during the daytime on Tuesday, especially during the afternoon. However, there’s uncertainty on whether overnight and early morning storms could limit afternoon storm development.
First, a line of storms is expected to arrive overnight, potentially bringing lightning, showers and strong winds. Later in the morning, by around 5 to 6 a.m., some heavy rainfall and damaging winds of up to 60 miles per hour are expected – but Miller said the primary threat is expected to shift south.
The Storm Prediction Center pointed to a similar setup, placing areas to the south and east under the slight risk category for severe weather.
Miller said it’s ideal for the cooler side of the system to arrive sooner rather than later, noting that moving in during peak daytime heating hours could strengthen storms.
Looking ahead to late Tuesday night into early Wednesday morning, northwest winds are poised to take hold, pushing the showers and thunderstorm threat off to the south and east.
Afterward, beautiful conditions return for Wednesday and Thursday. Conditions will be on the cool side, however, with values only climbing into the 50s and 60s.
