CHICAGO, ILLINOIS — A very dangerous line of thunderstorms is forecast to blast through the Midwest and Great Lakes on Thursday, with widespread damaging winds between 60 and 85 mph expected from Des Moines to Detroit. Forecasters are flagging this as a rare and high-confidence destructive wind event.
Chicago and Milwaukee in Rare 45 Percent CIG 1 Wind Corridor
The wind probability map valid Thursday June 11 places Chicago and Milwaukee inside a rare 45 percent Conditional Intensity Group 1 wind threat shown in pink. This level of wind probability is uncommon and signals extremely high forecaster confidence in widespread damaging winds across the two major metro areas.
A 30 percent wind probability zone in red surrounds that core, covering Des Moines, St. Louis, and a broad corridor stretching toward Indianapolis and Detroit. The 60 percent zone in orange pushes further into the upper Midwest, with the entire region from Omaha through Cleveland falling within elevated wind threat shading.
60 to 85 MPH Winds Expected From Des Moines to Detroit
The thunderstorm line is forecast to produce numerous to widespread damaging wind gusts ranging from 60 to 85 mph across the Midwest and Great Lakes corridor. At the upper end of that range, structural damage to buildings, widespread tree damage, and extended power outages become likely outcomes.
The 74-plus mph hatching on the probability map is centered directly over the Chicago and Milwaukee metro areas, underlining the extreme nature of this wind threat for those communities Thursday.
Broader Wind Threat Reaches From the Plains to the East Coast
The 15 percent wind probability zone in yellow extends the damaging wind threat across a massive footprint covering Kansas City, Cincinnati, Louisville, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Washington DC, Richmond, and Norfolk. Even the outer 5 percent brown shading reaches from Oklahoma City and Amarillo all the way to New York and Boston.
Residents across the entire highlighted corridor should prepare now, secure outdoor items, and have a plan in place for potential extended power outages Thursday.
Stay with GordonRamsayClub.com for the latest updates.
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