WHAT: Wind Advisory issued by the National Weather Service

WHEN: Effective until 10 p.m. tonight until 7 am on Thursday, March 20

WHERE: Portions of north central and northeast Illinois and northwest Indiana

IMPACT: 20 to 30 mph winds with gusts up to 45 mph expected. Gusty winds will blow around unsecured objects. Tree limbs could be blown down and a few power outages may result.

Severe Weather Threat this Afternoon

Residents should be advised of scattered thunderstorms that could become strong to severe this afternoon and evening. Damaging winds and hail will be possible with these storms as well as tornadoes, particularly south of I-88. Additionally, accumulating wet wind-whipped snow is expected late tonight, especially near and north of I-80. This may lead to hazardous travel conditions in some parts of the area into the early Thursday morning commute. Stay tuned into local media or download the OEMC App.

Chicago OEMC App

The public safety tool provides safety information, preparedness tips, emergency alerts, weather information and more in the palm of your hand. Users will also have access to current forecasts, radar, and other weather-related information as well. The app is now available through the Apple App and Google Play stores. To immediately download, click HERE or visit the website Chicago.gov/OEMC.

Sign up for NotifyChicago alerts at NotifyChicago.org. OEMC also issues TEXT alerts for lakefront notices, issues affecting businesses or events:

• CHILAKE: For lakefront notices, TEXT “CHILAKE” to 7-8-0-1-5
• CHIBIZ: For alerts affecting businesses, TEXT “CHIBIZ” to 6-7-2-8-3

For additional information on emergency preparedness information, we encourage residents to download the Chicago OEMC app, visit the OEMC website at Chicago.gov/OEMC. Sign-up to receive Notify Chicago alerts Follow the Office of Emergency Management and Communications on Facebook(@coemc), Twitter (@ChicagoOEMC), Instagram (chicago_oemc_911), Bluesky (@chicagooemc.bsky.social) and Threads (@chicago_oemc_911).