A tornado watch has been issued until 11 p.m. Friday for Cook County and most of northern Illinois. Strong storms are expected to hit the Chicago area between 8 p.m. and midnight, the National Weather Service said.

A cold front moving through the Chicago area is bringing brief relief from summer heat, with clearer skies and drier air expected Sunday before humidity returns early next week. The front stretched across northwest Indiana to central Illinois on Saturday,

Chicago faced a stormy weekend with severe weather threats, including hail and gusty winds, according to forecasts.

Snow seasons in Chicago are tracked from July through the following June. The area normally can expect 38.4 inches.

The National Weather Service issued a flash flood warning at 9:46 p.m. Tuesday night for Chicago and Cicero and the situation quickly escalated.

Most of Chicago will see temps in the mid-80s with lower 80s near the lake and northwest suburbs. Much of the city cleared out nicely after overnight showers and storms. Although there was still lingering cloud cover early Saturday morning, the city should be rain-free for the most part.

Southwestern McHenry County was hit particularly hard in the early round of storms, with 50-cent piece-sized hail and 60 mph wind gusts. This storm also had rotation associated with it, and there was concern about a tornado warning, but no tornado warnings were issued.