Stormy Thursday in the Forecast

After a Wednesday that saw storms drop 1-inch hail in North Barrington and more than 2 inches of rain in parts of McHenry County, I'm sure we'd all like a respite from the rain.   

Unfortunately, we'll have to wait a little longer.

Meteorologists are warning Illinois residents that there's a significant chance for severe weather Thursday, with storms possibly bringing damaging winds, large hail and isolated tornadoes.

According to the National Weather Service's hazardous weather outlook for Thursday, severe weather will be possible during the day and into the evening. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Storm Prediction Center has placed half of Illinois in the "slight risk" category for severe weather, while parts of eastern and southern Illinois, including along and east of the I-55 corridor, are in the "moderate risk" category. That latter area is where the greatest risk for severe weather will be, according to the National Weather Service.   

"The storms will organize along an advancing cold front pushing eastward from the Plains and swinging into the Mississippi and Ohio valleys to near the upper Gulf Coast," Alex Sosnowski, senior meteorologist for Accuweather.com, wrote in his forecast summary Wednesday. He noted that a squall line, or a line of active thunderstorms, is anticipated, and that communities could see downed trees and power outages.

Ahead of the storms, temperatures are expected to reach into the 70s, so enjoy that warmer weather while it lasts! And be sure to check with Patch for further updates.