CHICAGO (WLS) — The Chicago area is under the threat of severe weather this weekend as several rounds of storms are expected to sweep through.
The Chicago area could see heavy rain, gusty winds and hail on Saturday with the possibility of some tornadoes, said ABC7 Meteorologist Greg Dutra.
A Tornado Watch was issued for Cook, DuPage, Grundy, Kane, Kankakee, Kendall, Livingston, McHenry, and Will counties until 8:00 p.m. Saturday.
A Severe Thunderstorm Warning has also been issued for Boone County until 7 p.m. and Will, DuPage and Kankakee counties until 7:30 p.m.
A Marine Warning is also in effect for Calumet Harbor (IL) to Gary (IN), Lake Michigan from Wilmette Harbor to Michigan City; Winthrop Harbor to Wilmette Harbor; Northerly Island to Calumet Harbor; Wilmette Harbor to Northerly Island; Winthrop Harbor to Wilmette Harbor until 7:30 p.m.
FULL FORECAST: Watch the latest 7-day outlook
A severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado was located near Timerlane, or near Belvidere, moving northeast at 30 mph around 5:50 p.m., according to the National Weather Service. Another severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado was also located over Candlewick Lake, or over Poplar Grove, moving northeast at 30 mph at 5:57 p.m.
A tornado-producing storm was also located over Oak Brook, moving northeast at 25 mph around 4:50 p.m., according to the National Weather Service.
STORM DAMAGE REPORTED IN OAK BROOK
As of 5:36 p.m. Saturday, 156 flights have been canceled at O’Hare with an average of 1 hour delay; and no flights have been canceled from Midway airport, according to FlightAware.
According to the Storm Prediction Center, the entire Chicago area is under a “slight” risk for severe weather on Saturday – a level 2 out of 5. There is a 5% probability of a tornado within 25 miles of any given point in the Chicago area on Saturday, ABC7 Meteorologist Cheryl Scott said Friday.
Several rounds of showers and storms are expected to develop Saturday with the potential to turn severe. Threat of storms on Saturday afternoon and evening are contingent on morning destabilization of atmosphere, which scattered storms on Saturday morning may act to inhibit. All storm threats possible, but high winds are most likely, Dutra said.
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Scattered showers and storms are possible earlier Saturday. Rumbles of thunder won’t be surprising, but the better chance for severe weather will be in the later afternoon and evening.
Thunderstorms are expected to develop across northwest Illinois to the I-39 corridor after 1:00 p.m. and move eastward into northeast Illinois and northwest Indiana through the afternoon and early evening. They likely will not make it to the Chicago area until closer to 5:00 p.m. It will then hit northwest Indiana in the 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. timeframe.
The system heading toward the Chicago area already hit Kansas on Friday and the images coming out of there are terrifying.
Video shows powerful twisters ripping through the town of Andover, a suburb of Wichita. You can see debris flying and power lines sparking as the funnel rips through everything in its path. Much of the city is now without power. So far, there have been no reports of injuries.
Cook County Radar | DuPage County Radar | Will County Radar | Lake County Radar (IL) | Kane County Radar | Northwest Indiana Radar
RALEIGH. N.C. (WTVD) — Heavy rain moved through North Carolina ahead of a sharp drop in temperatures, which brought snow to some areas.
As recent as two days ago, North Carolina was dealing with record heat: Raleigh saw a high of 79 and Fayetteville reached 81 on Jan. 1.
Clouds, rain and gusty wind moved in starting Sunday. On Sunday night into Monday, the temperature plummeted.
At 3:30 p.m., Meteorologist Robert Johnson said only snow remains for parts of the Coastal Plain, and the snow will be out of there by 4 p.m. The sun has returned elsewhere and will create a beautiful sunset this evening around 5 p.m. It’s still breezy out there right now but winds will diminish through the night.
The two main concerns for the evening as icy conditions since temperatures will fall into the teens and 20s, and flooding in low-lying areas such as creeks, rivers, streams.
It will be clear and cold tonight with temperatures in the teens and 20s and Tuesday will be sunny but cold with no one breaking out of the 40s.
LIVE RADAR
3:42 p.m. The City of Raleigh’s curbside collection of garbage and recycling will be delayed on Tuesday because of the inclement weather. The potential for overnight freezing and black ice means a later start for crews.
If your regular collection day is Tuesday, please leave your garbage and recycling carts at the curb. Crews will be working through the evening to complete all routes. Regular pickup of garbage and recycling is scheduled to resume Wednesday.
Yard waste collection will be running a day behind the regular schedule for most customers this week. Here is the adjusted schedule:
Tuesday yard waste collection will occur on Wednesday
Wednesday yard waste collection will occur on Thursday
Thursday and Friday yard waste collection will occur on Friday.
For more information, call Customer Care at (919) 996-3245 or visit the City’s website.
3:30 p.m. Wake County has 2,017 customers without power. Durham County has 2,358 and Orange County has 5,673 without electricity. There are still no estimates for restoration.
2:44 p.m. Although the worst of the day trip to winter appears to be over, Gov. Roy Cooper is urging North Carolinians to exercise caution during the rest of the day.
“It’s better to stay off the road right now in many areas, but if you must drive, stay alert, reduce your speed and turn around if you encounter flooded roads,” said Cooper.
Hazardous weather is expected to continue for a few more hours before conditions improve in most areas later this afternoon. Though the threat of severe storms has ended, strong winds and coastal flooding will continue along the coast through tonight. Hazardous driving conditions could redevelop later tonight and Tuesday morning as black ice can form as temperatures will fall well below freezing.
To stay safe during severe weather, stay tuned to your local weather forecast and have a way to receive weather alerts, such as the ABC11 mobile app.
Statewide about 175,000 utility customers were without power at noon, Cooper said.
Guilford, Forsyth and Mecklenburg counties were reporting some of the largest outages.
Snow is on the ground or falling and temperatures are near or below freezing in some western counties and in counties along the Virginia border.
TIMELINE
Heavy rain, flash flooding and lots of lightning and thunder greeted people in central North Carolina when they woke up Monday morning.
The storms dumped several inches of rain in and around the Triangle. The first round of heavy rain pushed north and east of the Triangle by 8 a.m.
Freezing cold air then rushed into the area, dropping temperatures below freezing starting in places near the NC-Virginia border like Roxboro. That’s where the snow started falling first.
Wake County saw the rain stop around 8 a.m. But by 11 a.m. snow had started falling instead.
The snow continued for a couple of hours, mostly ending before 2 p.m. Flurries are still possible here and there for the rest of the day, but the heaviest of the snow is over.
Temperatures will now remain extremely cold. Lows will drop into the low 20s and even some teens overnight. Tuesday the cold will remain, with highs just getting into the mid-40s.
As for travel conditions, the ground temperatures remain quite warm because of the record heat just days ago. So much of the ABC11 viewing area will not be dealing with significant accumulation.
Still, be careful if you must drive. The roads will definitely be slick (possibly even flooded) and could even freeze in elevated areas.
Areas in and around the Triangle will likely not see much accumulation at all. Areas north of Durham could see dusting develop, especially on raised surfaces. Areas around the North Carolina-Virginia border could see an inch or so of accumulation.
POWER OUTAGES
The rain and wind knocked out power to thousands of people in the Triangle.
Duke Energy said the strong wind gusts were the main culprit of the power outages.
“We’ll be working throughout the day, unfortunately, I think to get these outages repaired,” Jeff Brooks said.
ROAD CONDITIONS & STORM DAMAGE
The flash flooding Monday wreaked havoc on roadways.
The roads that did not flood were slick, causing drivers to need to slow down or risk losing control of their vehicles.
First responders across the area worked quickly to respond to traffic problems and to help motorists navigate the conditions.
IMPACT
In preparation for the potential weather, Orange County Schools opted to cancel classes and all school-related activities.
“Due to a high potential for a variety of inclement weather situations, including high winds, sleet and snow, all OCS schools and buildings will be closed Monday, January 3, 2022,” read a statement from the school district.
Remote learning is also canceled for Orange County Schools on Monday.
Chapel-Hill Carrboro City Schools announced at 5:30 Monday morning that classes would go on as scheduled, but after-school activities would all be canceled Monday. Then at 6 a.m., the school district updated its decision, opting instead to cancel all classes.
Monday, 6 a.m. update: We have a change to announce. CHCCS schools and offices will now be CLOSED on Monday, January 3, 2022. This includes in-person and virtual learning, as well as today’s after-school and extracurricular programs and activities. pic.twitter.com/ozBwC8eq7z
— Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools (@chccs) January 3, 2022
Franklin County Schools also decided to cancel classes, citing flash flooding and potential power outages.
See the full school closings list here.
Gov. Roy Cooper issued a statement Sunday afternoon urging North Carolinians to stay aware of the local weather forecast and prepare for any expected conditions.
“It’s important to stay informed of changing weather conditions, and to have a way to receive weather alerts,” Cooper said. “A little preparation before severe or winter weather arrives can help avoid inconveniences and emergencies later.”
RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) — Severe weather warnings dotted the central North Carolina on Thursday, but the majority of the region escaped unharmed.
Despite several tornado warnings, the only damage report in the region happened in Orange County.
In the Cedar Grove neighborhood, trees were uprooted, roofs were damaged, a basketball hoop was snapped in half and a trampoline was seen flying down the street.
The National Weather Service is deploying a survey team to look at the damage and determine if it was caused by a tornado or straight line winds.
That team will start looking at damage in Guilford County at 8 a.m. and then work its way east.
The storms moved out of the region by Thursday night, but some rain will linger into Friday.
Temperatures Friday started in the 50s but will actually get colder as the day goes on. You can expect it to also be rather breezy for most of the day.
Saturday and Sunday will see temperatures in the 50s, with more sun Saturday and more warmth Sunday.
RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) — Thousands across central North Carolina are currently without power as freezing rain moves throughout the state.
A Winter Weather Advisory is in effect until noon Saturday for much of central North Carolina.
The advisory stretches from Wake, Durham, Orange, Chatham, Nash and Edgecombe counties north into Virginia.
Person, Vance and Granville counties were upgraded to a Winter Storm Warning on Friday afternoon, where an additional .25″ of ice is possible. The Winter Weather Advisory remains in effect for the Triangle, northern Orange and Durham counties could see .10″ of ice, less to the south.
Winter weather alerts today with the threat of freezing rain. Best chance for ice accrual will be north and west of the Triangle. Dangerous driving conditions expected, especially on bridges and overpasses. pic.twitter.com/WVTl61PgCY
— Steve Stewart (@StewartABC11) February 13, 2021
The warnings/advisories will now last until Sunday at noon, although there should be little additional icing after Saturday early afternoon.
According to Duke Energy, more than 1,000 customers in Chatham County are experiencing power outages.
The original advisory was issued Friday morning and it included chances for ice Friday and Saturday morning.
The first round of winter weather was mainly felt around the North Carolina-Virginia border. Rain turned to a small amount of ice accumulation on raised surfaces–such as tree limbs and railings.
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However, a second round of rain arrived Friday night and temperatures dipped below freezing.
Freezing rain is likely from the Triangle to the Virginia border.
Only a light glaze is expected in most of the Triangle, with perhaps some bridges or overpasses developing some ice. Temperatures are only forecast to drop to 31 or 32 at RDU, so ice accumulation is pretty difficult at these temperatures.
If we drop just another degree or two, ice accumulation will be greater.
Farther north, temperatures will drop to about 29 or 30, and this is the area where up to .15-.20″ of ice is possible. This amount of ice can lead to a few power outages and roads may be more of a concern in the morning, Hohmann said. Typically, .25″ is the threshold for more effects from freezing rain.
The freezing rain should end by Saturday afternoon.
We have the potential to pick up an inch to an inch and a half of rain on Saturday, through Sunday morning. We could also wake up to a slick spot or two Sunday morning, especially north of I-85.
The ABC11 First Alert Weather Team will be working around the clock to monitor any changes to the forecast. You can catch those updates in this story, on television, or in our apps on your connected devices.
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