Winds were strong Thursday afternoon, gusting at times to nearly 55 mph. There were also reports of sporadic wind damage, but mostly in the suburbs of Chicago and up north in southern Wisconsin. Locally, peak wind gusts ranged between 45-55 mph but have come down quite a bit now that the sun has set.
Strong low pressure to the north and high pressure to the south, along with very strong jet stream winds, were why wind speeds were as high as they were Thursday afternoon. Wind is caused by the difference in pressure in the atmosphere, as the atmosphere tries to balance itself out. The more the pressure difference is between low and high pressure, the stronger the wind will be.
We also had a very strong upper and mid-level jet roaring through the Midwest. The sunshine early in the day was enough to heat our atmosphere, just like a pot of water on a stove, causing the air in the atmosphere to mix (bowling pot of water). That mixing in the atmosphere was able to transfer some of the stronger winds gusts from up above, down to the surface. As the sun set Thursday evening, the wind speeds were quick to decrease (just like when you turn the stove off and the water begins to stop boiling).
West/southwest winds will increase once again Friday afternoon, but won't be nearly as strong as what they were Thursday. Peak wind gusts will reach 30 mph for most during the day.
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