We have some wild weather on the way to Chicago and the Midwest Friday into Saturday!

Clouds and rain will reach Chicago between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. Friday and continue to 1 a.m.to 2 a.m. Saturday. That will be a big change from Friday’s sun-filled open.

A wind advisory will be in effect from 3 a.m. Saturday to 3 p.m. Saturday. for several Chicago area counties.

There’s potential for gusty thunderstorms, a few possibly approaching severe limits — especially south suburbs and downstate in Indiana and Illinois later Friday. The time frame for thunderstorms or any severe weather appears likely from 10 p.m. through midnight Friday.

A brief blast of warm air

A brief temp surge to 55 to 60-degrees also reaches Chicago late Friday followed by a temp crash by morning. Daybreak temps Saturday are likely to have plunged to the upper 30s to low 40s

Windy Weekend Too

A howling non-t-storm wind gusts are likely to lock in Saturday’s pre-dawn and continue into Saturday with some 50+ mph possible over portions of the area, a level which reaches the damage threshold.

Full forecast details and more at the WGN Weather Center blog

Cold Air Returns

Much colder temps Saturday with morning snow flurries and Saturday daytime readings no higher than the 30s (wind chills falling back to the 20s amid Saturday’s roaring “WSW” winds.) Computer models are generating an average of around 0.80″ of rain through predictions for rain across the Greater Chicago area range from 0.40″ to 1.70″ range.

Be sure any outdoor objects capable of being blown by the incoming winds over the coming 24-30 hours are secured.

Storms bringing snow to other parts of the Midwest

All of these fast-changing weather features are the product of a powerful winter storm lifting out of the Plains into the Midwest—a storm which has produced heavy, wind-driven snows in the Plains–and is sweeping out of the Plains into the Upper Midwest. Targeted for this system’s heavy, wind-driven snows are the North Woods region of the Midwest to the north of Chicago. Sections of Minnesota, central and northern Wisconsin, Upper Michigan and the northern lower peninsula of Michigan are at risk for the accumulating snow which could reach 10-12″ in harder hit locations.