50 MPH Winds, Big Temp Drop, Subzero Wind Chill Back For Illinois

Gusty winds and a flash freeze are expected on Thursday evening into Friday for much of the Chicago area. A wind advisory has been issued for the area starting at 5 p.m. Thursday until 3 a.m. Friday for Lake, Kane, DuPage, Cook, Kendall, Grundy, Will, Kankakee, Livingston, Iroquois and Ford counties. Winds could make for difficult travel, especially for high profile vehicles on north to south roads.

The National Weather Service said wind gusts of up to 50 mph are possible Thursday evening into early Friday morning.

A large temperature drop is also on the way, and Friday only has a high of 17 degrees, compared to Thursday which was in the mid-40s for many communities. There will also be much colder air arriving late on Thursday which could cause lingering moisture to freeze on untreated surfaces. Wind chills will also drop to 10 to 20 below zero on Thursday night into early Friday.

The NWS said power outages are possible, especially in areas where icing recently happened in north central Illinois. The possible flash freeze could also cause rapidly changing road conditions, and you should exercise caution if walking outside or driving on Thursday evening.

Image by Patch.