Warm front triggers thundery downpours, 40+ m.p.h. gusts

Downpour-generating, Chicagobound thunderstorms towered more than 6 miles into the atmosphere over Kansas and Missouri late Tuesday. The storms, which threaten to unleash 1-2"+ rains here, swamped Wichita, Kan. with 2.21" Tuesday. Converging ground level winds along the same vigorous warm front expected to sweep across the metro area later this morning, will help instigate such storms. Temps soared in the Plains south and west of those storms Wednesday. A record high of 83° was set at Rapid City, S.D. while Chadron, Neb. reported 80°. Powerful SSW winds follow the warm front’s passage here Wednesday afternoon, gusting at times to 40+ m.p.h. This first full day of spring will feel the part once these winds take hold. The powerful winds are expected to reach more than a thousand miles from the Gulf of Mexico to the North Woods region of upstate Wisconsin late today. --By Tom Skilling, WGN-TV Chief Meteorologist