Strong thunderstorms in northern Lake County in northwest Indiana Tuesday night prompted a tornado warning that included Gary and Hammond, also Calumet City in northeast Illinois at about 9 pm CST February 27 2024. National Weather Service preliminary storm reports say there were multiple pictures of a funnel cloud at least three-quarters of a way to the ground near the Lake Michigan shoreline on the far north side of Gary and there was also a photo showing a waterspout near Gary. The National Weather Service Chicago this morning also said northern Lake County, Indiana, and southeast Cook County in Illinois are among areas of potential storm surveys from the severe weather.
UPDATE: Here’s a link to the National Weather Service Chicago website for the latest info on Tuesday evening’s storms in northwest Indiana and northeast Illinois: https://www.weather.gov/lot/2024_02_27_Severe .
Here is a link to the National Weather Service Chicago Facebook page for an overview of Tuesday night’s severe storms.
In Illinois, the western suburbs were reportedly hit with multiple tornadoes Tuesday night. The winds and rains became strong enough to cause cars and trucks to take shelter in the Illinois Tollway west of Barrington. Millions in the Chicago area were under tornado warnings last night, as severe storms traveled across the area. Tornado warnings were also issued in southwest Michigan, where the National Weather Service was reporting 60-mile-per-hour winds and quarter-sized hail.
This morning Wednesday February 28 2024 is bringing snowfall and falling temperatures in the Region. At about 4am it was still 43 degrees, an hour later it was 38 in Valparaiso and by midday it’s only expected to be in the 20s. Another warmup is ahead, though, this weekend, with temperatures back in the 60s. Here’s a link to the forecast at the Chicago National Weather Service website.
The Wednesday morning wintry weather directly follows back-to-back weather records set in the Region this week. The new record high in Valparaiso for February 27 is 70, reached at 3pm, topping the 58-degree mark set just last year (2023), according to the National Weather Service Climate Summary. The National Weather Service also says a new record high was reached the day before, preliminary data showing 69 degrees for February 26, besting the previous record of 63 set in 2000.
