Weather Alerts For Niles, IL

Closest strike: 19.77 miles Storms Approaching Stay alert and frequently check WeatherBug to see if storms are moving toward you. Be mindful that new storms can also form with little notice.

There is a Slight Severe Storm Risk for your location. Continue reading for today's outlook from the National Weather Service's Storm Prediction Center. -------------------- National Severe Storm Outlook THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS OVER PARTS OF THE CENTRAL PLAINS AND MIDWEST SUMMARY Scattered severe thunderstorms capable of producing large hail (some 2+ inches) and severe winds should continue over parts of the central Plains into the Midwest this evening. Isolated damaging winds also remain possible across portions of the Carolinas and northern Gulf Coast states. Central Plains Evening water-vapor imagery showed a subtle mid-level perturbation embedded within a broad corridor of northwesterly flow aloft overspreading much of the central US. isolated storm development has taken place along the western portions of a stalled front over western NE. South of the front, very warm and humid conditions have allowed for strong destabilization over much of the central Plains. Robust deep-layer shear profiles are favorable for supercells with a risk for large to very large hail, damaging gusts and perhaps a tornado persisting this evening. Additional development is possible along the stalled front farther east late this evening with a forecast increase in the low-level jet. Initial supercell structures are possible with hail and could grow upscale into one ore more clusters with a risk for damaging gusts through the overnight hours. Isolated higher-based storms ongoing in eastern CO may persist for a few hours this evening owing to very warm surface temperatures and steep low/mid-level lapse rates. Located on the fringes of the more robust buoyancy, isolated severe gusts or hail are possible as they drift slowly southeastward. Midwest Beneath the upper trough over the Great Lakes, isolated to widely scattered thunderstorms have developed ahead of the southward moving cold front and remnant outflow boundary from southern WI into eastern IA and northern IL. Large buoyancy (2000-3000 J/kg MLCAPE) is in place within a warm and very moist air mass. Modest enhancement of the mid-level flow is also supporting elongated hodographs sufficient for storm organization. A mix of supercells and multicells should continue for a few hours this evening with a risk for hail and damaging gusts. A tornado or two also remains possible where backed low-level flow is supporting stronger shear across southeastern IA and northern IL. Carolinas Numerous thunderstorms developed along a frontal boundary across the Carolinas this afternoon. These storms have gradually clustered and produced numerous instance of wind damage. Given the extent of the convection, much of the available buoyancy has been removed and much of the convection has slowly weakened early this evening. Still, some lingering instability along the coast should support storms for a few hours this evening. High PWAT content and modest enhancement of mid-level flow from a weak MCV may support some isolated damaging wind gusts. Gulf Coast/Lower MS valley Numerous thunderstorms are ongoing ahead of a weak surface cold front slowly moving southward along the lower MS Valley and central Gulf Coast. Very warm temperatures within the seasonably humid air mass are supporting moderate to large instability (2500-3500 J/kg of MLCAPE). This will be more than sufficient to maintain strong to severe storms within the ongoing clusters. Clustering and high PWAT content (1.75-2.3 inches) will support isolated wind damage with the more intense downdrafts for a few more hours this evening before they eventually move offshore or weaken after sunset. Northern Great Basin Evening water-vapor imagery showed an upper trough moving from south to north along the western periphery of a strong upper high centered over the central Rockies. On the eastern periphery of this trough, scattered thunderstorms are ongoing over parts of NV and western UT. Monsoon moisture is supporting weak to moderate buoyancy atop steep low-level lapse rates. The ongoing storms, with some clustering, are expected to continue and move northward across the NV/UT/ID vicinity through this evening. Deep inverted-V profiles and a dry sub-cloud layers will favor strong downdrafts, potentially capable of severe gusts 60-75 mph.

Pollen Index: 9.8 Pollen Level: high Predominant Pollen: Ragweed, Nettle and Chenopods. The quantity of pollen grains in the air for Saturday will remain relatively stable in the high range. This is a result of stable temperatures. No change doesn't mean no pollen, it just means that pollen producing plants are delivering pollen at a steady pace.