All of Illinois Suddenly Under a Severe Storm Threat This Weekend

We knew that there was a chance that Illinois could see some thunderstorms this weekend, but now the Storm Prediction Center has the state definitely in the path of what could be severe storms.

I always keep an eye on what the forecasters at NOAA"s Storm Prediction Center are saying. They've just updated their expected storm areas for this weekend and Illinois looks to see severe weather possibly all three days.

This is the outlook for Friday, April 18, 2025. The advisory area now includes all of Illinois.

The advisory area for severe storm possibilities for Saturday, April 19, 2025 is a little further south, but still includes most of Illinois.

Sunday, April 20, 2025 has yet another chance of severe storm development and, again, nearly all of Illinois is included.

What is the main danger in Illinois from weekend storms?

Storms expected in Illinois are almost certain to include heavy rain, strong winds and hail. While tornadoes are possible, they are not likely at this point.

It's important to keep in mind that some areas that only had a 5% chance of severe storms on Thursday, April 17 ended up having extremely strong EF-3 and higher tornadoes. Just because the percentage is low does not mean damaging storms cannot happen.

Make sure you are weather-aware as you enjoy this upcoming Easter weekend and have multiple ways to receive severe storm warnings from the National Weather Service if they are issued. It's that time of year when severe thunderstorms can and do impact Illinois and this weekend looks like a likely time when they'll happen again.