Tornadoes Hit Illinois and Wisconsin Before Weekend Cold Snap

A powerful line of storms tore through parts of northern Illinois and southeastern Wisconsin on Thursday (5/15), with destructive tornadoes bringing down trees, barns, and powerlines, with reports of baseball-sized hail.

Severe Weather Leaves Damage in Its Wake

Videos have been circulating on social media of a tornado that was on the ground in Wisconsin near the town of New Richmond, north of Eau Claire, and pictures of large hail are coming in from all around the Stateline area.

More will be discovered on Friday morning (5/16) when teams from the National Weather Service arrive in the area to survey damage and determine how strong the tornadoes were.

At the time this story was published, we've had no reports of fatalities, but there have been multiple injuries, and power outages are affecting thousands.

Fire Weather Danger on Friday

A Fire Weather Watch will be in effect beginning Friday morning (5/16) and will continue through Friday evening, according to the National Weather Service.

Most of northern and central Illinois are included in this Fire Weather Watch, including Winnebago County. Weather forecasts are predicting strong winds close to 50 mph, and very low humidity.

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Conditions like these can create an environment for fast-spreading wildfires. Any outdoor fires that start could grow rapidly, so it's strongly discouraged to attempt any outdoor burning on Friday.

Weekend Brings Dramatic Temperature Drop

Thursday (5/15) was the hottest day so far of 2025 with temperatures in the lower 90s, but as we get into the weekend, temperatures are forecast to plummet almost 50 degrees.

If you consider it felt like the mid-90s on Thursday with the heat index, and this Sunday night (5/18), the low is expected to be in the lower 40s, says the Weather Channel.

Going from Summer on Friday to Fall on Monday (5/19), with a high of only 62, and then Tuesday and Wednesday will only reach the mid to upper 50s.