Rainy, Windy Wednesday Ahead

Southerly winds will gust to 45 to 50 mph today along and east of I-55 and south of I-80. This will be enough to down small limbs and make driving difficult for those in high profile vehicles. Winds will gust to 30 to 40 mph elsewhere.

Isolated thunderstorms will be seen this morning, before rain and embedded thunderstorms increase in coverage by early afternoon.

Some of the storms could produce isolated severe winds south of I-80, and a brief fast-moving tornado cannot be ruled out in that area. The rain will also be heavy at times area-wide today. This will overlap the evening commute, likely causing reduced visibility in heavier rainfall and ponding on some roads.

Rain will transition to scattered snow showers for Thursday morning and afternoon.