Severe Storms and Tornado Warnings Hit Chicago Area

Severe weather alerts have been issued for the Chicago area as multiple tornado warnings were announced on Tuesday evening, as a fierce cold front approaches. A tornado watch is in effect until 10 p.m. covering all Illinois counties in the CBS 2 viewing area as well as Lake, Porter, Jasper, and Newton counties in Indiana.

The most recent tornado warning was issued for northwestern LaSalle County and eastern Lee County, slightly west of DeKalb. The warning extends until 6:45 p.m., indicating a tornado over Paw Paw, Illinois in Lee County. An additional two tornado warnings were announced until 7:15 p.m., one for east central DeKalb County and another for southern DeKalb County specifically impacting the Waterman vicinity, with reports of tornados on the ground about 2 miles north-northeast of Waterman by 6:34 p.m.

Furthermore, a tornado warning is active until 7 p.m. for Bureau County southwest of Chicago. The storm systems are also accompanying dangerous hail, with the potential for baseball-sized hail, 60 mph winds, and 30 mph gusts seen in Lee County as the storm passed through.

As the systems move across the region, they are expected to maintain their intensity due to the collision of the cold front with warm air in front, unlike typical summer storms. A wind advisory is also in effect for all of northern Illinois from 9 p.m. Tuesday until 6 a.m. Wednesday.

The remarkable temperature difference ahead of the cold front is evident in Chicago, where O’Hare International Airport recorded 74 degrees and McHenry reached 77. However, as the cold front sweeps in, temperatures are set to plummet, with the freezing mark expected for Chicago. This rapid change in weather will bring wind chills making it feel like mid-January, with temperatures dropping to single digits across various parts of the region.”