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Chicago’s Lollapalooza officially starts today, and with clear skies and temperatures hovering around 80 degrees Fahrenheit at Grant Park, conditions couldn’t be better for concertgoers.

Unfortunately, the good times may not last, as weather forecasters are predicting major storms for Friday and Saturday.

For the Central Plains and the Midwest, a multi-day stretch of rain, flash flood risks, and afternoon thunderstorms is expected to begin today. Over the weekend, these stormy weather patterns will shift east, casting a cloud of uncertainty over the long-running music festival.

This is not the first time in the concert’s 35-year history that bad weather has threatened the event. If the weekend storms are as bad as predicted, it could lead to canceled performances and the evacuation of tens of thousands of music lovers.

Now, let’s take a deeper look at the forecast and what it could mean for Lollapalooza attendees.

“Soaking Rain” Will Leave Grant Park Fields Muddy For Lollapalooza

For Lollapalooza guests, Thursday’s opening night should be all clear. Rain is expected to begin Friday afternoon as scattered showers. For dedicated music lovers, a little rain has never stopped them from enjoying a show.

The real problems will begin later in the evening. According to NBC 5 Storm Team Meteorologist Alicia Roman, heavy rainfall will start Friday around 9 p.m. This will continue into Saturday morning, leaving the park a bit of a mess.

“We may be looking at wet fields over there in Grant Park,” Roman said.

Reports Say The Risk Of Weather Impacting Lollapalooza Is High

Going by Fox News’ risk of weather impact (ROWI) system, here’s how things are shaping up for Grant Park and the festival this weekend.

Although Friday and Saturday will most certainly be wet, it looks like the storms will settle by Sunday, just in time for headliners Tate McRae and The XX to take the stage.

In the past, bad weather has caused mass evacuations at Lollapalooza. This time around, the city says it’s prepared to keep everyone safe.

City Officials Concerned About The Safety And Security Of Lollapalooza Attendees, Performers, And Staff

Lollapalooza has a long history that’s dotted with occasional storms. In 2012, for example, dangerous high winds suspended the festival, leaving tens of thousands of fans to be evacuated into shelters set up in underground parking facilities.

This time around, it’s unclear if suspensions and evacuations will be necessary. However, the city is prepared.

In a press release obtained by TheTravel, Chicago Office of Emergency Management and Communications executive director Frank Velez said, “The Office of Emergency Management and Communications works closely with the Chicago Police Department, the Chicago Fire Department, the Chicago Park District and C3 Presents to plan well in advance of the popular event to ensure the safety of performers, music fans and residents.”

Velez continued, “Safety remains our top priority, and participants are urged to be familiar with the surrounding area and to heed all warnings.”

The press release also notes that “Attendees should be aware of the emergency evacuation shelter sites located in the Grant Park North, Grant Park South and Millennium Lakeside Garages… Signage is posted to direct people to designated extreme weather shelters for extreme conditions such as lightning, tornadoes, hailstorms, or other weather events.”

A map of emergency evacuation shelter sites can be found on the Lollapalooza website. Festival guests are also encouraged to monitor the weather and “heed all warnings from public safety officials” while enjoying the show.

Bad weather in the Midwest and Chicago area has been an ongoing issue lately, affecting more than just concerts.

Midwest Storms Present Multiple Issues For Travelers Outside Of Lollapalooza

According to the Midwestern Regional Climate Center (MRCC), the Midwest is particularly prone to storms.

“The Midwest is an area of the country that experiences thunderstorms regularly because the area is a battling ground between warm, humid air masses from the Gulf of Mexico and cold, dry air masses from Canada,” the MRCC website explains. “Thunderstorms can be short-lived (30 minutes to 1 hour) single-cell storms, or can be an organized series of severe thunderstorms with large hail, strong winds, and tornadoes that last many hours.”

We’ve seen the impact of these storms recently, not just with the bad weather currently looming over this weekend’s music festival, but at airports as well.

In June, for example, United Airlines issued travel warnings at 12 Midwestern airports as ground stops were issued due to severe weather.

Just a few days ago, Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD) had the most canceled flights worldwide, with 531 cancellations on departures and 477 on arrivals. These cancellations were also due to stormy weather.

For now, Thursday night attendees can enjoy a dry, storm-free show. For tomorrow, concertgoers can only hope that the Lollapalooza storms hold off.