Overview
- Forecasters say severe thunderstorms are most likely between about 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. Tuesday and could bring very strong wind gusts, hail, brief tornadoes, and heavy rain.
- The greatest risk for widespread wind damage comes if storms organize into an intense, fast-moving line rather than remaining scattered, which would keep impacts more isolated.
- Parts of Chicago already saw heavy rain earlier this week with pockets up to about 5 inches, which raises the threat of flash and urban flooding where storms train over the same areas.
- Southeastern Wisconsin counties south of I-94 near the Illinois border face the highest local threat, and residents are urged to have ways to receive alerts during the midday and lunch hours and to prepare for possible outages.
- Meteorologists say a stalled frontal boundary and a strengthening low-level jet are driving the pattern and that additional rounds of storms are possible Wednesday and later in the week.