CHICAGO – Residents of the Chicago area are bracing for a challenging start to the week as a mix of strong winds, light snow, and frigid temperatures threaten to disrupt travel plans on Monday.
A Winter Weather Advisory has been issued for regions to the north and west of Chicago, remaining in effect until 10 a.m. Additionally, a Wind Advisory blankets the entire metropolitan area, signaling the potential for hazardous conditions.
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Mark McGinnis, ABC7 Accuweather’s meteorologist, has warned that wind gusts may exceed 50 miles per hour, adding to the travel woes. Meanwhile, the cold spell isn’t expected to ease up soon, with forecasts predicting flurries on Tuesday afternoon and a light snowfall on Wednesday evening.
This sudden blast of winter follows a turbulent weekend that saw at least one confirmed tornado touch down in Iroquois County, Illinois. The National Weather Service is taking proactive steps by dispatching a survey team on Monday to assess up to six potential tornado sites across Livingston, Ford, and Iroquois counties.
The blast of winter weather comes after there was at least one confirmed tornado in Illinois Sunday, which was in Iroquois County.
The National Weather Service plans to send a survey team to Livingston, Ford, and Iroquois counties Monday to investigate up to six areas damaged by possible tornadoes.
The severe storms caused damage across parts of the area, including Livingston County.
he roofs of not one, but at least two homes were ripped off in the Motorola Subdivision in Pontiac Sunday afternoon. A fast-moving storm raced through the area around 3 p.m., leaving debris, not just from the roofs, but from downed trees strewn all over the area. Sunday evening, repair crews remained on site, with much of the neighborhood pitch black.
Livingston County was battered by storms all day, and 23 miles away in the village of Forrest, a line of storms passed through Sunday morning leaving behind a downed tree.
“I heard a big crash at this end of the house,” a resident named Tina said. “When I was able to come look this tree had come down and it put a hole in the roof of my house and a hole in the roof of my garage.”
More significantly, part of the roof was torn off the gymnasium at Prairie Central Junior High School. Luckily, between the weekend and it being winter break, no one was inside at the time.
“We got some water damage on the inside but for now it looks like most of the damage was contained to the gymnasium,” said Brian Quam, Sup.t of Prairie Central Schools. “The educational spaces are in good shape and unaffected.”
The good news is at this point no injuries have been reported as a result of Sunday’s storms.
