Possibly severe storms to set off afternoon temperature dive

Temperatures surged to July levels Friday, topping out at 84 degrees at
O'Hare International Airport and 85 at Midway-but soaring as high as 88
degrees in northwest suburban Libertyville, 87 at Wheaton and 86 at
Gary.
More than six months has passed since an 80-degree temperature graced
the area. Only one year in five produces warmth at Friday's levels so
early in the season. Last year, it took another five weeks-June 2-for an
84-degree temperature reading here.
A dramatic but temporary break in Saturday's unseasonable warmth
threatens to ignite the Chicago area's first organized outbreak of
severe weather. The same powerful temperature-slashing cold front that
lopped more than 50 degrees off readings in Plains on Friday is to sweep
across Chicago with potentially thundery weather between 3 and 5 p.m.
Saturday. The windshift it produces is likely to send temperatures into
a dive off the day's low 80-degree highs-a decline which may reach 40
degrees by evening.
Thunderstorms bombard Midwest with ground-burying hail
A barrage of hail battered areas from southeast Nebraska to Upper Michigan
late Friday. Two-inch diameter hail fell in several communities near La Crosse, Wis.,
while hail two inches deep covered the ground near Rockland in western
Upper Michigan.
--Tom Skilling, Chief Meteorologist, WGN-TV/Chicago Tribune