Strong thunderstorms are sweeping through the Chicago area Tuesday afternoon, evening and into Wednesday, sparking possible tornadoes and causing damage.

The snow and cold in the Midwest comes amid blizzard and winter storm warnings for parts of the east coast, with as much as two feet of snow possible across areas in Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Connecticut and New York.

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

If you’re heading out to watch the Chicago River be dyed green for St. Patrick’s Day, you might want to bundle up. After a week of devastating storms, plummeting temperatures, snow, rain and gusty winds,

Weather can affect the economy in small bursts, but a changing climate could have greater implications in the long term.

After severe storms and a reported tornado in Michigan, Chicago remains dry for now but could see showers and thunderstorms overnight before cooler, sunnier weather arrives this weekend.

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.