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A strong low pressure system will bring a cold front, cooler temperatures, and windy weather in its wake. The winds are expected to pick up after the cold frontal passage around 6pm CST/7pm EST this evening and persist through the overnight hours until 4am CST/5am EST for a large portion of the Great Lakes Region. People in locations such as Rockford, Chicago, Milwaukee, Green Bay, Grand Rapids, and Lansing should pay particular attention to loose outdoor Christmas decorations and other loose objects during this event. Wind gusts of 45-55 mph are possible with the highest gusts for communities immediately along the lakeshore or in wind-prone areas.

A round of severe thunderstorms with damaging wind, large hail, and several tornadoes is expected this afternoon and evening from southern Arkansas northward to southern Illinois and Indiana. Metropolitan areas such as Memphis and Nashville, Tennessee, Louisville, Kentucky, Indianapolis, Indiana, and Cincinnati, Ohio are at risk for a round of dangerous storms.

The greatest risk for a few tornadoes will reside from southeastern Arkansas northward to Memphis and Nashville, Tennessee, and up toward Paducah, Kentucky through the early evening hours. Damaging winds greater than 60 mph are possible in many of the thunderstorms that develop, with the strongest storms bringing localized gusts in excess of 80 mph.

Travel delays, both on the ground and in the air, are likely as the dangerous storms cross the region. Interstates that are at risk of being impacted by severe storms include: I-24, I-40, I-55, I-65, and I-69.

This pre-Christmas severe weather outbreak is due to a strengthening area of low pressure moving towards the western Great Lakes with a cold front that extends southward into a record warm and humid air mass.

The threat for severe storms will end by later this evening as precipitation shifts off to the east.

Watch out, there is a storm affecting UK and Ireland tonight.

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Chicago Area Forecast

Santa and his pal Rudolph can expect easy traveling conditions when they drop off presents in the Chicago area. Christmas Eve is expected to be cooler than the spring like weather on Wednesday but high temperatures will still remain above average in the mid 40s. Mostly sunny skies make Thursday the perfect day to check out all the holiday decorations downtown or to go skate around the ice rinks of Millennium Park. Unfortunately, Chicagoans won’t get a white Christmas on Friday but they will wake up to a pleasant and sunny Christmas day. High temperatures will be in the mid 40s again with a small chance of some light showers Christmas evening.