Severe Storms Expected in Iowa & Illinois This Afternoon: What You Need to Know

Right now (6 AM), it’s cloudy and a little breezy outside, around 70 degrees. But by 2 PM, we’re expecting storms to start popping up, especially for anyone south of I-80. The worst of it should happen between 2 PM and 8 PM.

After that, it’s going to turn into steady, heavy rain tonight. If you have outdoor plans later, maybe think about staying in.

Severe Storms Expected in Iowa & Illinois This Afternoon

Quad City residents should prepare for an active weather day, with strong thunderstorms expected to move in this afternoon and continue into the evening. As of early Tuesday morning, skies are overcast and temperatures are hovering around 70°F. Winds are picking up from the south at 15–20 mph, with gusts reaching up to 30 mph.

Timing and Threats

The most intense weather is forecast to develop between 2 PM and 8 PM, especially for areas south of Interstate 80. This window is when severe storms are most likely to form, bringing the potential for:

• Damaging wind gusts
• Flash flooding
• Hail
• A possible isolated tornado

After this initial round of storms, the threat shifts to heavy rain across the entire area overnight. By Wednesday morning, scattered showers will linger, adding to already saturated conditions.

What About Tonight and Tomorrow?

Tonight it’ll still be raining pretty hard. Temps will drop to about 60°, and the wind will calm down a bit.

Tomorrow morning, it’s still going to be wet and gloomy for a while, but it should start drying out in the afternoon. High around 75°. Oh—and don’t be surprised if there’s some smoky air again. That cold front could push some wildfire smoke back down to ground level.

After a brief dry spell between Wednesday afternoon and Thursday, forecasters are eyeing another system arriving early Friday, likely bringing more rain to an already soaked region.

Stay Weather Aware

With all forms of severe weather on the table today, now’s the time to charge your devices, review your emergency plan, and keep an eye on alerts from local meteorologists and the National Weather Service.

Safety Tip: If a warning is issued, seek shelter indoors immediately—especially if you're in a mobile home or outdoors.

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