Severe weather chances with “torrential” downpours and the chance for intense tornadoes, golf-ball size hail and destructive winds will move into the Chicago area Wednesday, the NBC 5 Storm Team said.
And while the first round of rain will hit during the morning commute, the second round could be worse, NBC 5 Storm Team meteorologist Alicia Roman said.
Early Wednesday morning, Live Doppler 5 Radar showed strong storms already moving into the northwest parts of Illinois, including Rockford.
As the first round approaches, here’s a timeline of what to expect and when.
Wednesday morning
Light showers were expected to make their way into the Chicago area starting about 8 a.m., Roman said. By about 11 a.m., heavy rain will be widespread, with as much as two inches of rain or more falling per hour. Gusty winds were also possible, Roman said.
“All areas of northern Illinois and northwest Indiana are at risk for torrential rain rates, which can lead to flash flooding today,” the NWS warned.
The heavy rain will last throughout the morning, Roman said, though there could be an afternoon window where the rain tapers before stronger storms move in. The NWS described that round as “potentially more dangerous,” with all weather hazards possible and the entire Chicago area under threat of severe weather.
Wednesday afternoon
The second round of storms starts about 2 p.m., Roman said, “clusters of supercells” possible.
By about 5 p.m., storms were expected to stay to the south and in northwest Indiana. Storms were expected to come to an end by about 8 or 9 p.m., Roman said.
Severe weather map
The Storm Prediction Center has placed the entire Chicago area under some threat of severe weather Wednesday, with counties to the south, central Illinois and parts of northwest Indiana at the highest risk of the most destructive storms with potentially intense tornadoes.
“Gusty, damaging, maybe even destructive winds of up to 75-80 mph, large golf ball sized hail, strong tornadoes” Roman said.
According to the SPC, parts of Will, Kankakee, LaSalle, Grundy and Kendall Counties in Illinois; and parts of Newton, Jasper, Lake and Porter Counties in Indiana were under at an “enhanced” risk of severe weather, which ranks as level four.
Chicago and much of Cook County will be at a “moderate” risk of severe weather, which ranks as level three of five. Counties to the north will see a “slight” risk, or level two.
Tornado risk
The ingredients for “significant tornadoes” are most likely to be in place south of I-80 between about 2 p.m. and 9 p.m., NBC 5 Meteorologist Kevin Jeanes explained. “Unfortunately, EF-3 tornadoes are again on the table of hazards, following destructive storms that hit several parts of the Chicago area last week.”
There still look to be two time windows for severe weather threat today, with the second round in the afternoon and evening remaining the most concerning, though confidence in that second round is a bit lower than it was yesterday. pic.twitter.com/jyW2CfyCf5
— NWS Chicago (@NWSChicago) June 17, 2026Jeanes said the risk area could shift slightly to the north or south depending on how far north the warm front makes it after first round of storms.
“Places south of the warm front will have a greater risk of individual supercell thunderstorms that, along with strong tornadoes, could produce tennis ball-sized hail,” Jeanes said.
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