Northern Illinois could get hit with ice, rain, sleet and potential flooding: NWS

Different portions of northern Illinois could get hit with a mix of thunderstorms, freezing rain and ice, with the potential for flooding, the National Weather Service said Tuesday.

A “potentially significant winter rain event” Wednesday afternoon and night that could lead to flooding also was forecasted for northern and central Illinois and northwest Indiana, the weather service said.

Winds of up to 30 mph were expected through Tuesday afternoon, the weather service said.

But Wednesday’s when the nasty weather could set in, according to an NWS hazardous weather outlook, with freezing rain mixed with sleet across far northern Illinois.

“Accumulating ice and sleet is possible, most notably near the Wisconsin state line,” the weather service said. “Elsewhere, periods of heavy rain may produce localized flooding, along with significant rises on areas rivers. Isolated thunderstorms may also accompany the heavy rain Wednesday afternoon and evening.

The outlook applied to Boone, DeKalb, DuPage, Ford, Grundy, Iroquois, Kane, Kankakee, Kendall, La Salle, Lake, Lee, Livingston, McHenry, Ogle and Winnebago as well as parts of Cook and Will counties.

In a separate forecast, the weather service warned that current forecasts show up to 1 ½ inches of rain Wednesday afternoon and evening are likely across northern and central Illinois, as well as northwest Indiana.

“Accumulating ice and sleet is possible, most notably near the Wisconsin state line. Elsewhere, periods of heavy rain may produce localized flooding, along with significant rises on areas rivers. Isolated thunderstorms may also accompany the heavy rain Wednesday afternoon and evening.

—  The National Weather Service

“Locally heavier totals, potentially in excess of two inches, are possible, particularly with any thunderstorms that occur,” the weather service said.

Current ground conditions, with a lack of vegetation and cold soils, could lead to more runoff than normal, the weather service said. That could lead to water on roads and flash flooding, the weather service said.