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• July 15, 2024: Derecho Produces Widespread Wind Damage and Numerous Tornadoes
• July 14-15, 2024: Line of Storms Produces Swaths of Wind Damage and Embedded Tornadoes
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• July 15, 2024: Derecho Produces Widespread Wind Damage and Numerous Tornadoes
• July 14-15, 2024: Line of Storms Produces Swaths of Wind Damage and Embedded Tornadoes
• WXK-24 Odell NOAA Weather Radio Off the Air
• July 13-14, 2024: Significant Flash Flooding in Rockford and Isolated Morning Wind Damage

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Holiday travel weather forecast: As winter storm bears down, some scramble to change plans

Chicago weather forecast shows significant amount of snow possible

CHICAGO (WLS) -- The coming storm is expected to create dangerous conditions on the roads, and havoc for airline travelers.

Many were already adjusting their flight plans Tuesday ahead of the holidays.

That storm is expected to bear down on Chicago right before Christmas.

SEE MORE: What can I do if my flight is canceled, delayed? How to prepare for likely 2022 holiday travel mess

So those who are choosing to fly are hoping they don't get stranded or stuck.

"I am so much relieved. I don't miss a Christmas. I can be home before the storm hits," said Dureti Gelgelu, who was heading to Oregon.

Some travelers landing at O'Hare Monday were happy to make it home before the storm.

Others visiting said they wasted no time re-booking their flights.

See storm timing, totals: Significant winter storm could bring more than a foot of snow by Christmas

Kelly Derr is in the area on a work trip, and was originally supposed to fly back home to Tennessee Thursday afternoon.

She re-booked her return flight before she even got off the plane.

"I don't want to be stranded here in Chicago when I've got six people coming into my house for the holidays," she said.

The Kotso family from the Rockford area planned a last minute trip to Mexico.

"It could be worse, right? We could be stranded down there or stranded here. I think I'd rather be down somewhere warm." Steven Kotso said.

Airlines and transit agencies are already warning people traveling by air, rail or road to be ready for the arrival of treacherous winter conditions.

RELATED: Airlines issue travel waivers ahead of massive 'bomb cyclone' of wintry weather

Most airlines currently have weather waivers in place.

That means you can change your flights for free, if you have flexible travel plans.

So far, there have not been any major cancellations.

The airlines predict the busiest travel day at O'Hare will be Thursday, as crowds return to pre-pandemic numbers.

The Chicago Department of Aviation said it's prepared for the storm.

"We have 500 staff members who are ready to work 24/7 and 350 pieces of snow removing equipment, lots of salt and lots of de-icer for the roadways," said Karen Pride, with the Chicago Department of Aviation.

Some travelers even asked Santa to use his magic to keep the planes on schedule Tuesday.

Ariana Rafaty is flying to Aruba with lots of family. They're feeling fortunate to miss all the snow.

"We kind of scheduled this in advance. We lucked out since we're not gonna be here while it's really bad, but I'm really grateful that were able to go somewhere," she said.

Travelers are urged to check with their airlines during the week to make sure their flights are not canceled.

As holiday travelers buzzed throughout the airport, there was a large emergency response at O'Hare's Terminal 1 about 6:30 a.m., as Chicago fire crews arrived to assist the Federal Aviation Administration in investigating a report of a suspicious package , CFD said.

Authorities cordoned off sections of Terminal 1 temporarily, but caution tape was removed by about 7 a.m.

"I saw a bunch of emergency lights, and I was like 'oh great we're gonna be late' but we're not late," traveler Jeff Andersen said.

CPD said officers responded to a threat, but the scene has been secured.

Travelers are allowed to move throughout the terminal again.

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Winter Storm

Several inches of snow fall in northern parts of Chicago area

Overnight freezing rain causes spinouts, crashes across Chicago area

Winter Weather Advisory in effect for snow, freezing rain

Parts of NW Indiana dig out of 3 feet of snow

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Chicago weather: This week's forecast after back-to-back nights with tornadoes

CHICAGO - After a few showers developed over the south suburbs and northwest Indiana on Tuesday, the weather is expected to remain calm for the rest of tonight.

Showers will taper off late this evening, with partly cloudy skies and lows in the upper 60s for the remainder of the night.

The rest of the week promises to be calm, quiet, and cooler. Wednesday will bring mostly sunny skies with highs around 80 degrees. Cooler air will settle in on Thursday, with highs expected in the mid-70s under mostly sunny skies.

Temperatures will return to the lower 80s on Friday, accompanied by plenty of sunshine to round out the workweek.

The weekend looks quiet, with partly cloudy skies forecast for both Saturday and Sunday. Temperatures will be near normal, ranging from the low to mid-80s.

Overall, Chicagoans can look forward to a pleasant and stable weather pattern through the weekend.

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Weather | Extreme heat and humidity expected in Chicago…

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Weather | Extreme heat and humidity expected in Chicago Monday after Sunday night storms

Weather officials said that temperatures in the city will soar into the 90s throughout the day, with a peak heat index of between 100 and 110 degrees. The heat index approximates how air temperatures feel to the human body when coupled with the day’s humidity.

A heat advisory was issued for counties in northern and central Illinois beginning at 8 a.m. Monday. Residents of Ogle, Lee, DeKalb, La Salle, Kendall, Grundy, Kankakee, Livingston, Iroquois, Ford, and Will counties are urged by authorities to take extra caution today. 

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On days of extreme heat, residents should be sure to stay hydrated, remain indoors, wear loose and light cotton clothing, and minimize the use of ovens and stoves, according to Chicago’s Office of Emergency Management and Communications. 

Dozens of air-conditioned spaces and cooling centers will be open across Chicago today for residents needing respite from the weather. 

Later tonight, more strong to severe thunderstorms are expected to strike Chicago from approximately 7 to 9 p.m., according to the National Weather Service.

“Strong, destructive winds are the primary concern, although tornadoes, large hail, and flash flooding will all be possible,” wrote NWS Chicago on their X page.

More storms are possible Tuesday south of I-80, but conditions are overall expected to level out by midweek to “much more comfortable” temperatures, according to the NWS.

Climate change caused by human actions is making extreme weather, such as heat waves, drought and severe storms, more common, scientists say.

Amid the extreme weather across the Midwest, Sunday night marked the second of three consecutive nights of severe thunderstorms in northern Illinois. 

A severe thunderstorm warning was issued in Chicago at just after 10 p.m., staying in effect until 11 p.m. as the storm struck the city with high-speed gusts of wind and bouts of thunder and lightning. 

For those living in downtown Chicago, a tornado warning was also issued at 10:38 p.m., but was lifted just over ten minutes later. 

The storm system traveled east across northern Illinois, coming after another set of severe thunderstorms the night before on Saturday . Flood warnings are still in effect this morning for rivers across the Midwest, according to the NWS. 

Within Chicago, damage primarily stemmed from falling trees that landed on cars or power lines during last night’s strong winds, according to the Chicago Fire Department. 

The Department of Streets and Sanitation Bureau of Forestry has received 586 emergency calls since Sunday regarding clean-up of storm debris, according to a spokesperson. Residents can contact 311 to report any fallen trees or other debris in their neighborhoods after extreme weather.

Fallout from the storm also disrupted travel plans and caused power outages across the area.

Electricity utility ComEd reported over 600 outages on Monday at 8 a.m., which left more than 16,000 customers in northern Illinois without power. 

Meanwhile, over 1,200 flights arriving at or departing from Chicago O’Hare International Airport were delayed last night, while 92 were canceled. As of 9:30 a.m. on Monday morning, another 40 flights through O’Hare have been canceled.

The Metra commuter rail also experienced seven delays last night due to the storms, all of which took place on their Union Pacific lines, according to a spokesperson.

Though the CTA’s rail service was not impacted, a number of its buses have had to reroute due to fallen trees blocking roads, a spokesperson said.

“Several downed trees throughout the city caused minor reroutes to our bus service this morning, particularly express routes that travel along Inner Lake Shore Drive due to a downed tree at Stratford,” the spokesperson said in an email. “The city is in the process of removing the tree.”

During the storms Saturday night, most sailors competing in the 115th Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac  were in the direct path of the extreme weather. Three boats had their masts broken, while one man went overboard and had to be rescued by a fellow competitor, according to race chair Winn Soldani.

By Sunday evening, however, all competitors had traveled far enough north to be out of the path of the next round of thunderstorms, Soldani said.

This year has been one of the fastest races in the history of the competition, he added, thanks to the unusually strong winds.

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A flood warning in effect for Livingston County

Severe weather in chicago classifies as ‘derecho’ -- here’s what that means, derechos most common during warm season.

Ashlee Baracy , Meteorologist

Derick Hutchinson , Lead Digital Editor

CHICAGO – The severe weather that struck Chicago on Monday night classified as a “derecho.”

You might remember the Southern Great Lakes Derecho in May of 1998. Winds gusted up to 90 mph from Mid-Michigan to Metro Detroit, creating one of the worst windstorms to move through the region in recorded history.

💨 Michigan weather history : The derecho of July 16, 1980

To be defined as a derecho, a storm must cause a wind damage swatch that extends more than 240 miles. It must include wind gusts of at least 58 mph along its length.

The Great Lakes Derecho of 1998 killed four people, injured hundreds, and caused millions of dollars’ worth of damage in Michigan.

In 1980, a derecho that tracked across southern Michigan left severe damage along I-94 and to the south. Wind gusts of more than 100 mph were reported, blowing railroad cars off track and blowing out windows of the Renaissance Center.

Statistically, 70% of derechos happen during the warm season of May through August.

Copyright 2024 by WDIV ClickOnDetroit - All rights reserved.

About the Authors

Ashlee baracy.

Ashlee Baracy is an Emmy award-winning meteorologist who was born and raised in Metro Detroit. You can catch her 4Warn Weather forecasts weekday mornings, at noon and streaming on Local4+.

Derick Hutchinson

Derick is the Lead Digital Editor for ClickOnDetroit and has been with Local 4 News since April 2013. Derick specializes in breaking news, crime and local sports.

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News & features, winter center, news / winter weather, chicago: blizzard conditions to precede 'ferocious' arctic air.

The biggest snowstorm so far this winter could evolve into a blizzard in Chicago and surrounding areas, and it will be followed by AccuWeather RealFeel® Temperature more than 20 degrees below zero.

By Brian Lada , AccuWeather meteorologist and staff writer

Published Jan 10, 2024 10:09 AM PDT | Updated Jan 12, 2024 1:33 PM PDT

A new storm featuring plowable snow, blizzard conditions and flooding downpours will be followed by some of the coldest air so far this winter across the central and eastern United States.

Prior to Jan. 12, wintry weather has been unrelenting in the Chicago area since the start of 2024 with snow falling on all but one of the first 11 days of January -- and the biggest snowstorm yet is in the offing that could evolve into a blizzard in and around the city.

Blizzard possible in Chicago

The storm will turn into an all-out blizzard in part of the Plains and Midwest , and may include the Chicago area.

"It might not officially be a blizzard, but at some point during this storm, it’s going to look like a blizzard," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Tom Kines said.

Blizzard defined: A blizzard is more than just a powerful snowstorm; a list of criteria must be met for a storm to be designated as a blizzard. The key is persistent strong winds, with at least three hours of sustained winds of 35 mph or higher . Additionally, falling or blowing snow must reduce visibility to less than one-quarter of a mile throughout the three-hour threshold.

Hundreds of cars are seen stranded on Lake Shore Drive, Wednesday, Feb. 2, 2011 in Chicago. A winter blizzard of historic proportions wobbled an otherwise snow-tough Chicago, stranding hundreds of drivers for up to 12 hours overnight on the city's showcase lakeshore thoroughfare and giving many city schoolchildren their first ever snow day. (AP Photo/Kiichiro Sato)

One of the most recent blizzards in Chicago took place on Feb. 1-2, 2011, when over 20 inches of snow piled up in Chicago . The powerful storm responsible for the blizzard also dealt wintry weather across more than 2,000 miles of the country from New Mexico through Maine.

When are the worst conditions expected in Chicago?

Snow began to fall in earnest early Friday morning. But, while a change to rain occurred at midday, the worst of the snowstorm has yet to come. Conditions in Chicago will deteriorate quickly heading into the weekend.

"The worst of the storm will be late Friday night when the wind and snow intensity picks up, causing very poor visibility and dangerous, if not impossible, travel," Kines explained. A temporary sweep of dry air from the southwest may keep precipitation light around the city for a time Friday evening.

AccuWeather is predicting 4-8 inches of snow at the Chicago lakefront, but where all snow falls, over a foot could pile up. Around Chicago's O'Hare International Airport, 8-12 inches of snow is in the offing with a substantial number of flight delays and cancellations anticipated. Operations at the airport could be shut down for a time.

Sub-zero temperatures to freeze Chicago after snowstorm

Brutal cold is expected to follow the snowstorm, sending temperatures plummeting to the lowest levels in two years.

"The cold behind the storm is ferocious," Kines said. "This outbreak of cold air will rival the arctic air mass right before Christmas 2022."

On Sunday, temperatures will struggle to climb above zero while the AccuWeather RealFeel® Temperature may remain lower than 20 degrees below zero throughout most of the day. The brutal cold air will remain in place into the start of next week.

Continue Reading:

Want next-level safety, ad-free? Unlock advanced, hyperlocal severe weather alerts when you  subscribe to Premium+  on the  AccuWeather app .   AccuWeather Alerts ™  are prompted by our expert meteorologists who monitor and analyze dangerous weather risks 24/7 to keep you and your family safer.

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