Temperatures across Illinois ranged from the damp and chilly upper 40s near Waukegan to the very warm and sultry upper 80s around St. Louis Sunday afternoon, setting the stage for violent thunderstorms and heavy rainfall. The sharp temperature contrast, mixed by a strong low pressure system working east across the state, developed wave after wave of thunderstorms—many of them severe. At least 17 twisters were reported in Illinois along with numerous reports of hail and strong winds. Golf-ball hail pelted the Aurora area, while stones larger than baseballs slammed downstate Normal. Torrential downpours brought nearly 3 inches of rain in about an hour, flooding roads east of Joliet near Beecher and south of Kankakee near Chatsworth.
Substantial rainfall soaked the Chicago area with totals through late evening approaching 1.5 inches in southern sections, while northern areas lagged—but the rain was still coming down.
--Steve Kahn, WGN Weather Center Meteorologist
WGN-TV Chief Meteorologist Tom Skilling and the WGN Weather Center staff provide daily coverage of weather in the Chicago area.
