CHICAGO, ILLINOIS — A hypothetical Storm Prediction Center-style outlook map is illustrating what could be a high-end severe weather setup stretching from the Upper Midwest through the Mid-South, with Chicago positioned inside a broad enhanced risk corridor and areas farther northwest facing the potential for numerous intense tornadoes.
While this scenario remains conceptual and not an official SPC forecast, the structure of the outlook highlights a setup capable of producing both embedded strong tornadoes to the north and a messy but highly tornadic squall line to the south.
Highest Tornado Risk Centered Near Minneapolis and Upper Midwest
The most intense shading on the outlook is centered near Minneapolis, Minnesota, extending into portions of:
- Western Wisconsin
- Eastern South Dakota
- Northern Iowa
This zone is depicted with strong hatching, typically associated with the potential for significant tornadoes. In such a configuration, discrete supercells could develop ahead of a cold front or dryline, allowing storms to remain isolated long enough to produce intense, possibly long-track tornadoes.
The placement suggests the greatest concentration of violent storm potential would be north of Chicago, particularly across the Upper Midwest.
Chicago Inside Broad Enhanced Severe Corridor
Chicago sits within a large enhanced risk area extending from:
- Central Illinois
- Northern Indiana
- Southern Wisconsin
- Western Michigan
While not at the center of the most intense hatched zone, Chicago remains in a region supportive of organized severe thunderstorms…