High Winds, Possible Lakeshore Flooding Could Wreak Trouble Thursday
By Stephen Gossett in News on Apr 5, 2017 8:10PM
As White Sox fans can attest, the weather in Chicago over the last few days has been irritatingly Pacific Northwest-y—but be warned, it's about to get much worse. Before temps warm up and skies finally clear out this weekend, it looks like this sloppy stretch will end with a particularly wet, windy and all around nasty punctuation tonight and Thursday. It could especially spell trouble along the lakefront and Lake Shore Drive. Also, accumulation isn't expected, be we could see some snow on Thursday as well.
Cook County was put under a high wind warning on Wednesday afternoon, with strong winds expected to last through Thursday night. The wind could also cause problems on Lake Shore Drive, which motorists should avoid if possible. A lakeshore flooding warning is in effect from early Thursday morning through early Friday, according to WGN.
Winds will sustain around 40 mph and could reach as high as 60 mph on Wednesday night and Thursday night, according to the National Weather Service.
The NWS warns of possible impact:
"Damage to trees...power lines and personal property are possible with winds of this magnitude. Driving may be made difficult for high profile vehicles. High waves along the Lake Michigan shore may cause lakeshore flooding."
We're also going to preemptively advise any potential Skydeck visitors to maybe consider another day, 'cause that's probably not gonna happen, judging by recent history. In all seriousness, it's shaping up to be an ugly one, so be very safe out there.