It may be February, but Chicago and Milwaukee could experience weather more typical of spring. Severe thunderstorms with damaging winds, hail and an isolated tornado could pound the Upper Midwest on Thursday.
The “spring break” the Midwest has been experiencing, with temperatures between 10 and 20 degrees above average, set the stage for more springlike weather.
A dramatic shift in the weather pattern is expected as the warm and dry conditions are replaced by much cooler and wetter days over the coming days, the FOX Forecast Center said. This will all be kicked off by the storm which brought the atmospheric river to California.
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The battle between the warm air in place and the blast of cold air being ushered in behind a cold front will create the potential for damaging winds. The Plains and Midwest could see winds gusting upwards of 30-50 mph.
The National Weather Service issued a Special Weather Statement across Illinois and Indiana into the Heartland and Mississippi Valley, warning of dangerous and difficult driving on east-west-oriented highways like Interstate 80 and Interstate 88, especially for high-profile vehicles. The Quad Cities, Kansas City, much of Iowa and northern Missouri are under a wind alert.
Lawn decorations and any unsecured items could be tossed, and tree limbs could be blown down. That could lead to scattered power outages in the region. Those strong winds will subside after sunset from west to east. Indianapolis is under the high-wind threat through early Friday morning.