Chicago Weather: Rain And Strong Winds Sweep Through Parts Of Area; Tornado Warnings Issued
CHICAGO (CBS) -- A storm system brought rain and strong winds to the Chicago are Friday night, and parts of the area were placed under tornado warnings.
Northwest Indiana was hit particularly hard.
A tornado warning was issued around 10 p.m. from east central Will County into Lake County, Indiana, but was called off early. Another tornado warning was issued for northern Jasper and southern Porter counties in Indiana, and was in place until 10:30 p.m.
In that spin-up, heavy rotation was seen along I-65.
Severe thunderstorm warnings were also issued for all five Indiana counties in the CBS 2 viewing area - Lake, Porter, LaPorte, Jasper, and Newton. An earlier severe thunderstorm warning was issued in Will and Grundy counties, but has since expired.
Winds in excess of 60 mph were recorded in some parts of the area. In Demotte, Indiana in Jasper County, winds of 72 mph were reported. Winds topped out at 69 mph in Rensselaer.
Heavy downpours were also seen in McHenry County and the northern sections of Lake County. Lighter to moderate rain was falling along the lakeshore from Evanston to the downtown area, and some lightning was seen to the south - but nothing in those areas was severe.
A tornado watch was issued for Kankakee County in Illinois, and Jasper and Newton counties in Indiana. It was supposed to run until 2 a.m., but was called off shortly after 11 p.m.
A broader tornado watch covered a vast area of land throughout the night – including downstate Illinois, much of Indiana, and parts of Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee, most of Arkansas, northern Mississippi, the northeast corner of Texas, and later also northern Louisiana.
In Edwardsville, Illinois, a tornado hit an Amazon warehouse and people were injured and trapped when the roof collapsed.
My prayers are with the people of Edwardsville tonight, and I've reached out to the mayor to provide any needed state resources.
— Governor JB Pritzker (@GovPritzker) December 11, 2021
Our @ILStatePolice and @ReadyIllinois are both coordinating closely with local officials and I will continue to monitor the situation.
In Monette, Arkansas, a county judge said two people were killed and five were injured when a tornado hit a nursing home.
Back in the Chicago area, scattered showers will continue through the overnight, but the strongest storms will exit the area well before sunrise.
Saturday morning will be cloudy with a chance for a rain and snow flurries mix. A Wind Advisory will be in effect much of Saturday, as wind gusts are expected to reach as high as 50 miles per hour at times.
Highs will be in the upper 30s on Saturday.
Sunday will be sunny and dry, with highs in the upper 40s. It will be much warmer next week with highs in the 50s on Monday and Tuesday and up to 62 degrees by Wednesday.
TONIGHT: 100% chance of rain and storms through 1am. Some could be strong or severe. Lows in the 30s.
SATURDAY: A rain and flurries mix in the morning, then clearing skies in the late afternoon. High of 38. Wind Advisory in effect through the midafternoon.
SUNDAY: Sunny and breezy. High 48.