Alert archive / Illinois / Wind Advisories in 2026

Wind Advisory 7, NWS Chicago, IL

April 27, 202615 counties in Illinois; Lake County, Porter County, Indiana

NWS Chicago, IL issued this wind advisory at Apr 27, 2026, 11:18 AM CDT for 15 counties in Illinois; Lake County, Porter County, Indiana. It took effect at Apr 27, 2026, 12:00 PM CDT. It was in force for 4 hr.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Apr 27, 2026, 11:18 AM CDT (16:18 UTC)
In effect from
Apr 27, 2026, 12:00 PM CDT
Expired
Apr 27, 2026, 4:00 PM CDT
In force
4 hr
Issued by
NWS Chicago, IL

Counties Boone County, IL, Cook County, IL, DeKalb County, IL, DuPage County, IL, Grundy County, IL, Kane County, IL, Kankakee County, IL, Kendall County, IL, Lake County, IL, LaSalle County, IL, Lee County, IL, McHenry County, IL, Ogle County, IL, Will County, IL, Winnebago County, IL, Lake County, IN, Porter County, IN

The radar

The Chicago radar (KLOT), 30 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 16:18 UTC, the scan nearest the moment this went out.

Open the radar archive at this moment

The archived warnings, watches and discussions in force at that minute are drawn over the scan, this one among them.

The nearest sounding before it

Lincoln, IL (KILX), launched 12:00Z, 4.3 hours before the alert went out and 184 km from the middle of its area. This is the routine balloon launch nearest before it, the air the forecaster had in hand, not a measurement taken for the alert.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Lincoln, IL at 12:00Z on 2026-04-27Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 0 joules per kilogram.LCL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Lincoln, IL at 12:00Z on 2026-04-27The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 104 square meters per square second.193958Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km.
Mixed-layer CAPE
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL
1053 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
25 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
104 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
306 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this wind advisory went out, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Chicago, IL wrote its last area forecast discussion before this wind advisory went out at Apr 27, 6:45 AM CDT, 4 hours 33 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Apr 27, 6:45 AM CDT, 4 hours 33 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Apr 27, 3:16 AM CDT, 8 hours 2 minutes before
Hazardous Weather Outlook
National Weather Service Chicago/Romeoville IL
316 AM CDT Mon Apr 27 2026

ILZ003>006-008-010>013-019>021-023-032-033-039-103>108-INZ001-002-
010-011-019-280830-
Winnebago-Boone-McHenry-Lake IL-Ogle-Lee-De Kalb-Kane-DuPage-
La Salle-Kendall-Grundy-Kankakee-Livingston-Iroquois-Ford-
Northern Cook-Central Cook-Southern Cook-Northern Will-
Southern Will-Eastern Will-Lake IN-Porter-Newton-Jasper-Benton-
316 AM CDT Mon Apr 27 2026 /416 AM EDT Mon Apr 27 2026/

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of north central
Illinois...northeast Illinois and northwest Indiana.

.DAY ONE...Today and Tonight.

Weather hazards expected...

  Elevated Thunderstorm Risk...with an associated:
     Level 3 of 5 Damaging Wind Risk...up to 70 mph.
     Level 2 of 5 Tornado Risk mainly south of Interstate 80.
     Level 1 of 5 Large Hail Risk...up to quarter size.

  Elevated Flooding Risk.

DISCUSSION...

Severe thunderstorms are possible this morning through this
evening. The greatest risk for severe thunderstorms is mainly
south of Interstate 80. The highest tornado risk is mainly
south of the Kankakee and Illinois River Valleys.

Heavy rainfall may lead to localized flooding and possible
renewed rises on area rivers.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Tuesday through Sunday.

Friday Night into Saturday morning...
  Limited Frost Risk.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Spotters will likely be needed today and this evening.

GENERAL STORM MOTION OF THE DAY:

Moving toward the east at 40 to 50 mph.

LMZ740>745-280830-
Winthrop Harbor to Wilmette Harbor IL-
Wilmette Harbor to Northerly Island IL-
Northerly Island to Calumet Harbor IL-
Calumet Harbor IL to Gary IN-Gary to Burns Harbor IN-
Burns Harbor to Michigan City IN-
316 AM CDT Mon Apr 27 2026

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of the Illinois
nearshore waters of Lake Michigan and the Indiana nearshore
waters of Lake Michigan.

.DAY ONE...Today and Tonight.

Weather hazards expected...

  Hazardous conditions for small craft.
  Limited Thunderstorm Risk...with an associated:
     Level 2 of 5 Thunderstorm Wind Gust Risk...up to 50 knots.
     Level 1 of 5 Hail Risk...up to quarter size.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Tuesday through Sunday.

No hazardous weather is expected at this time.

Visit us at www.weather.gov/chicago

The office that day

Everything else NWS Chicago, IL issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Apr 26, 8:36 PM CDTRiver Flood WatchLOTBureau, LaSalle, Putnam38 hr
Apr 27, 9:35 AM CDTGale WarningLOT6 hr
Apr 27, 9:35 AM CDTSmall Craft AdvisoryLOT24 hr
Apr 27, 12:50 PM CDTHigh Wind WarningLOTCook, DeKalb, DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry3 hr
Apr 27, 6:56 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLOTFord, Iroquois65 min

Nearby

Wind Advisories in Illinois, 2026Wind Advisories in Indiana, 2026Every wind advisory in 2026

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.