A combination of strong thunderstorms, followed by violent and destructive winds, will make for one of the Midwest’s most dangerous storms in 70 years.

When Tuesday morning comes around, the Chicago area will be slammed with furious thunderstorms as a cold front passes over the area.

Damaging winds will likely be a component of the thunderstorms, and there is a risk of tornadoes, CBS 2’s Mary Kleist reports.

The severe storms are expected to sweep into the area between 4 a.m. and 9 a.m. Tuesday, coming in the form of a squall line, which often means strong straight-line winds. The storms will be at their heaviest during the Tuesday morning rush.

The rain and severe storms will pass out of the area by midday, but at that point, high and dangerous winds will roar into the area.

The winds will maintain a sustained speed of 35 to 40 mph, and may gust to 55 mph or more. They will be most severe north of Interstate 88, particularly along the Wisconsin border, Kleist said.

Over Lake Michigan, hurricane-force winds are possible.

After sundown Tuesday, the winds will die down a little bit, only to pick up again after sunrise Wednesday morning.

The National Weather Service advises unsecured objects may become airborne. Falling tree limbs and sporadic power outages can be expected. Travel may become difficult with high profile vehicles becoming difficult to control.

The severe weather system is coming in the form of a cyclone, a low-pressure system of closed, spiraling motion. The system is, in fact, being dubbed the “Great Lakes Cyclone.”

The low barometric pressure in the system is contributing significantly to the severity of the storm. CBS 2’s Megan Glaros says the minimum pressure in the system could drop to an extraordinarily low reading of 960 millibars.

As the storm passes, the temperatures will drop quickly. The forecast high for Thursday is a mere 49 degrees.

The National Weather Service reports that based on its records, this will probably be one of the most powerful storm in 70 years.

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(Source: CBS Chicago)