Severe weather slams Chicago area, tornado warning expires for DeKalb County

A tornado warning was briefly issued for DeKalb County on Wednesday as the entire Chicago area is under siege from a line of severe storms.

The warning, which expired at 6:45 a.m., encompassed DeKalb, Sycamore and Cortland, Illinois.

Most of the Chicago area was placed under a severe thunderstorm warning Wednesday.

Severe thunderstorm warnings were in place for:

  • Cook and Lake counties until 7:30 a.m.
  • Lake and Porter counties, Indiana until 7:30 a.m.
  • Kenosha County, Wisconsin until 7:30 a.m.

A tornado watch is in place for LaPorte County in northwest Indiana until 3 p.m.

The higher significant-tornado (EF-2+) risk area assessed by the Storm Prediction Center has shifted east of the majority of Chicagoland, touching parts of northern Indiana and East Central Illinois.  

There could be a second line forming early this afternoon but that scenario is less likely. It’s unseasonably warm and muggy this morning with temperatures having risen overnight to around 70 degrees.   

After the storms depart a period of strong winds will continue warranting a wind advisory for our viewing area until 4 p.m. when gusts could exceed 40 mph.

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The rest of the forecast is frankly delightful through Easter weekend. It will be cooler tomorrow and Friday but with plenty of sun.  

Sun bathes the weekend as well with highs in the 60s Saturday and flirting with 70 on Easter.