A wind and dust advisory goes into effect Monday for multiple suburbs in the Chicago area, with the National Weather Service warning people to be prepared for sudden or rapid changes in visibility with potentially dangerous driving conditions “until the storm passes.”
The advisory, which impacts LaSalle, Kendall Grundy and Kankakee Counties in Illinois; and Porter, Newton and Lake Counties in Indiana; goes into effect at 11 a.m. through 6 p.m. Blowing dust kicking up in central Illinois from Sunday’s strong winds prompted officials to issue the notice, NBC 5 Storm Team Meteorologist Alicia Roman said.
“Be ready for a sudden drop in visibility to near zero,” the NWS warned, adding that people with respiratory issues should plan to stay inside.
Counties to the north could also see patchy, blowing dust, the NBC 5 Storm Team said, including in McHenry, DeKalb and Kane Counties in Illinois and Kenosha County in Wisconsin.
According to the NWS, winds could gust as high as 35 mph. The warm temperatures, with highs in the 70s and 80s, combined with low humidity could also lead to a risk of elevated fire danger, especially in drier, agricultural fields.
Gusty SW winds today may lead to blowing dust near farm fields. Localized visibility reductions to < 1 mile may occur, especially in rural areas near & south of I-80. The strong winds & low humidity may also lead to an elevated fire danger in drier agricultural fields.(2/3) pic.twitter.com/QDbBPxiaBt
— NWS Chicago (@NWSChicago) May 4, 2026Such an advisory for the Chicago area is uncommon, Roman said, and Monday maks only the second time in history that one has been issued by the NWS office in Chicago.
“Chicago rarely issues dust-related advisories and warnings,” Roman said. “The only other time being last year on May 16th, the day of the big dust storm.”
In May of 2025, a dust storm that swept through Illinois led to numerous crashes and travel warnings, with photos showing entire buildings swallowed by blankets of dust. According to Roman, the short-lived storm was caused by a strong, outflow of thunderstorms in Central Illinois, while the advisory issued Monday was due to gusty winds, and expected to be longer in duration.
Still, strong to severe thunderstorms were possible Monday night, with the Storm Prediction Center placing the entire Chicago area under a level one, or “marginal” risk of severe weather. Any storms that do turn strong or severe, Roman said, could contain damaging winds, lightning, heavy downpours and even hail.
The greatest storm chances, Roman said, come between 6 p.m. and midnight.
Following the storms will come a cold front, Roman said, with temperatures dropping back into the 50s and 60s for much of the work week.
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