After a hot summer-like day across the Stateline, storms are beginning to fire up across Iowa and Central Illinois. The summer heat has provided quite a bit of energy for the storms to feed off of, but there is not much in the way of lift to get the storms going. That being said, a lake breeze coming off of Lake Michigan is converging with a warm front, helping to spawn some of these storms near the I-80 corridor. Due to this, a SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH has been issued for Jo Daviess, Stephenson, Carroll, Whiteside, and Lee Counties until Midnight tonight. Damaging winds, large hail, and heavy rainfall are the main threats with this setup.

Already a warning has been issued as of 6:45PM. A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING has been issued for Southern Carroll and all of Whiteside County until 7:30PM. This storm is developing in a very unstable environment and is capable of producing 60 mph wind gusts and ping-pong ball sized hail. Take shelter if in the path of this storm!

The severe threat is the highest to the West of the Stateline, but any storms that develop in this unstable environment are capable of producing very large hail and damaging wind gusts!

Temperatures will not fall very far overnight tonight, only reaching back into the upper 50s with scattered storms possible, bringing heavy rainfall and flash flooding potential to areas that see repeated thunderstorms moving over the same location.

Storms remain possible through midnight and into the morning. Total rainfall could reach 1-2″ in spots that see thunderstorms continually develop overhead. Remember if you come across a flooded roadway: “Turn Around, Don’t Drown!”

A FLASH FLOOD WARNING has been issued for Southern DeKalb and Lee Counties until 10:30PM. 1″ of rain has already fallen across a narrow corridor across this area. These storms are capable of producing rain rates of up to 1-3″/hr. Turn around if you come across any flooded roads!