Strong winds up to 60 mph are expected late Thursday night into Friday, followed by a chance for accumulating snow Sunday night and a blast of colder air early next week.

The Chicago area is at risk for severe weather Tuesday starting in the afternoon. ABC7 Chicago is now streaming 24/7. Click here to watch. A Tornado Watch has been issued for Grun

Snowflakes, rain and winds gusting as high as 60 miles per hour were in the Chicago forecast for the end of the work week, with the National Weather Service warning of “damaging” winds that could down trees and lead to widespread power outages.

Ashlyn Villarreal was driving home from work selling cars in Kankakee Tuesday night when she saw a flash of lightning and “gumball”-size hail. Suddenly, the gumballs turned into softballs and the glass on her Mustang’s windshield cracked, cutting her hands.

Powerful storms brought tornadoes to Indiana and Illinois this week, with large hail and severe rain striking south of Chicago. Here’s what you need to know when this kind of weather hits.

According to NBC 5 Storm Team Meteorologist Alicia Roman, Friday morning's rain will be the first of two stormy waves to hit the Chicago area. The first round was expected to move mostly across northern Illinois and impact far north and west counties, along with areas in southeastern Wisconsin.

Emergency crews are assessing damage after a tornado touched down, damaging homes in Kankakee, Illinois, amid an outbreak of severe weather.

The Chicago area is expected to see severe storms with the possibility of tornadoes and large hail on Tuesday. The National Weather Service issued a severe thunderstorm warning for Chicagoland into northwest Indiana starting Tuesday evening with heavy rainfall easing into early Wednesday.

Officials say several tornadoes have torn through parts of Illinois and Indiana, downing trees and power lines in an area south of Chicago and overwhelming the 911 center with emergency calls.

Expert researchers and scientists are now working directly with local Chicago-area communities to address extreme weather and mitigate the damage it can cause.