Chicago weather: Scattered morning showers following by strong-to-severe storm chances
Gusty, damaging winds and heavy downpours could pummel the Chicago area late Friday and into Saturday
Some parts of the Chicago area Friday were waking up to clouds and drizzle, setting up for a day of on-and-off scattered showers and potentially strong-to-severe storms.
NBC 5 Storm Team radar showed areas to the west, including DeKalb, LaSalle and McHenry saw early morning sprinkles, with rain moving eastward.
By 9 a.m., more widespread showers were set to move in, NBC 5 Meteorologist Alicia Roman said, with scattered rain expected through the early afternoon.
In the early evening, gusty storms may be possible, Roman said, with rain continuing on-and-off through midnight and into early Saturday morning.
Periods of showers today give way to widespread showers and storms tonight into Sat AM. A few storms tonight and Sat may be strong to severe with a threat of gusty winds. Drier and cooler conditions to close out the weekend, but dangerous swimming conditions on Sun. #ILwx #INwx pic.twitter.com/D7qOd9YOol
— NWS Chicago (@NWSChicago) June 28, 2024
Some of the storms Friday night and overnight could turn strong or severe, Roman added.
According to the National Weather Service, the Chicago area late Friday into Saturday will be at a "marginal" risk of severe weather, which ranks as level one of five on the Storm Prediction Center's five-level scale.
The greatest threats associated with the storms include heavy downpours and damaging winds of up to 60 miles-per-hour, Roman said.
Some hail was also possible, the NWS added.
Showers and storms were expected to continue through early Saturday morning, with rain set to move into Northwest Indiana by around 7 a.m. By 9 a.m., conditions were expected to dry out, Roman said.
Temperatures Friday would be slightly warmer after a cool day Thursday, with highs in the upper 70s to low 80s. Around the lake, cooler temperatures were expected.
Temperatures Saturday were expected to rise, with highs in the mid-to-upper 80s.
Sunday was expected to be a dry and cooler, day, with highs in the upper 60s to low 70s, Roman said.