Wind gusts in the Chicago area could reach 60 mph on Wednesday on what’s projected to be the busiest day for car travel over Thanksgiving holiday week.
A wind advisory was issued from 3 a.m. to 9 a.m. Wednesday by the National Weather Service for parts of northeast Illinois and northwest Indiana.
Tree limbs could be blown down and power outages could occur, according to the weather service’s warning. Gusts could reach 55 to 60 mph, according to the advisory.
The wind could pose a danger for drivers. The Illinois Tollway is expecting the heaviest traffic on Wednesday, when more than 1.8 million vehicles may use the Tollway system.
The wind will be accompanied by a steep drop in temperatures Wednesday, with a high in the 30s and wind chills in the teens and 20s, according to the Weather Service.
The threat of snow remains Friday night into Saturday, forecasters said.