US Weather Update: Severe Storms in the South Could Produce Large Hail Overnight

Spring is a time of renewal, but it is also a time of chaotic weather, and Chicago will see plenty of that in the coming days, with the possibility of severe weather kicking off the festivities.

That possibility exists late Wednesday and into Thursday morning, with a chance of hail and heavy downpours in the area, particularly south of Interstate 80.

After that system passes, temperatures will cool slightly, and while highs will remain near their seasonal averages this weekend, there is a chance of rain and even snow, particularly during the overnight hours.

Severe Storms Could Bring Large Hail Overnight

(Photo : Scott Olson/Getty Images)

Severe weather is expected to hit parts of the Chicago area overnight and into early Thursday morning.

Rain will fall across the city and suburbs Wednesday afternoon, but the heaviest rain and most likely thunderstorms will fall overnight, according to ABC7 Meteorologist Tracy Butler.

The National Weather Service warned that, in addition to cloud-to-ground lightning and heavy rains, the strongest storms could produce hail up to 1 inch in diameter. That's big enough to dent your house's siding.

Large hail appears to pose the greatest threat along and south of the I-80 corridor in the south suburbs and northwest Indiana.

The ABC7 AccuWeather Team is also monitoring the possibility of slushy wet snow accumulations late Friday into Saturday.

Also Read: US Weather Forecast: Heavy Snow to Unfold in North-Central US This Week

Updates for this week

According to the Storm Prediction Center, the main event for the storm system will occur after midnight Thursday, with areas south of Interstate 80 and in northwest Indiana facing a "marginal" risk of severe weather, as per NBC Chicago.

The main threat from the storms will be hail, some of which may be the size of a quarter. Gusty winds and heavy downpours are also possible, with some low-lying areas potentially seeing some pooling of water during the storms.

Thunderstorms may still affect the rest of the Chicago area, with gusty winds and locally heavy rain possible at times.

The worst of the storms should have passed by the time the morning commute begins, but rain may continue into the morning.

Rain is expected to continue past daybreak, with thunderstorms possible as drivers head to work in the morning.

As noon approaches, the rain will begin to clear, but colder temperatures will also set in as a cold front move through the area.

After a dry rest of the day Thursday, expect some clouds during the day on Friday, but another system will slowly approach the area for a second round of precipitation, which could be different in nature.

This system will primarily bring rain to the area on Friday night and into Saturday, but some areas may see mixed precipitation or even slushy snow overnight as temperatures drop to around freezing.

Significant accumulations are not expected, but the precipitation may cause some travel issues early Saturday before the system moves on.

Another storm system is expected to arrive late Sunday and strengthen on Monday, bringing more rain south of Interstate 80.

Snow and mixed precipitation may fall in the northern suburbs and near Chicago, but it is unclear whether air temperatures will be cool enough to allow this to happen.