Tornado watch

The entire area is under a tornado watch until 10pm. A severe thunderstorm watch was likely but conditions favorable for tornadoes escalated and SPC went that route. And right on cue a tornado-warned storm is near the Illinois-Wisconsin line at 2:30pm. Other non-severe storms are approaching from the west. Damaging winds, lightning and torrential downpours are possible anytime through tonight (although most hours will be dry). Slightly cooler tomorrow.

tornado watch until 11pm

All that sunshine during peak heating hours today has destabilized the atmosphere, and SPC has placed the entire area under a tornado watch until 11pm. The good news is that most of the Chicago metro area is on the fringe of the main threat area, but a tornado or another otherwise severe storm is still possible anywhere in the area. The prime time for storm development will be 5-6pm, and a couple of models are putting a supercell into the Chicago area around 7pm. We'll see -- the atmosphere is juiced but getting the development (let alone the exact timing and location) of severe storms right is difficult. 

Severe t'storm warning

The whole area is warned until 6:45 AM as a line of severe storms approaches from the NW. Winds above 60 mph are the main threat.

Storms, flash flood watch

The whole area is under a flash flood watch from pre-dawn tomorrow (Monday) through tomorrow night. An inch or two of rain could fall of storms develop as projected.

We are also under "Moderate" risk for severe storms. There is a building line of storms several hundred miles to our NW that could be in here around 4-8am tomorrow (Monday). A second round of storms is also possible in the afternoon. Neither scenario is assured but storms that do develop could easily become severe, with high winds the main threat.