Strong winds up to 60 mph are expected late Thursday night into Friday, followed by a chance for accumulating snow Sunday night and a blast of colder air early next week.

Strong thunderstorms are sweeping through the Chicago area Tuesday afternoon, evening and into Wednesday, sparking possible tornadoes and causing damage.

Snowflakes, rain and winds gusting as high as 60 miles per hour were in the Chicago forecast for the end of the work week, with the National Weather Service warning of “damaging” winds that could down trees and lead to widespread power outages.

Powerful storms brought tornadoes to Indiana and Illinois this week, with large hail and severe rain striking south of Chicago. Here’s what you need to know when this kind of weather hits.

Illinois residents are celebrating St. Patrick's Day early this Saturday with bar crawls, river dyeing and more. But will you need a heavy coat?

According to NBC 5 Storm Team Meteorologist Alicia Roman, Friday morning's rain will be the first of two stormy waves to hit the Chicago area. The first round was expected to move mostly across northern Illinois and impact far north and west counties, along with areas in southeastern Wisconsin.

Officials say several tornadoes have torn through parts of Illinois and Indiana, downing trees and power lines in an area south of Chicago and overwhelming the 911 center with emergency calls.

A storm in Illinois produced a hailstone up to 6" in diameter, which, if verified, would be a new state record for the largest hailstone ever observed.

As La Niña continues to fade and we transition toward a more neutral pattern, the atmosphere should become a bit less locked into extremes and a little more typical of a Midwestern spring, which can still bring plenty of ups and downs.