A tornado touched down in Kane County

What started as light showers and a cold front turned into a tornado Saturday morning around Kane County.

The tornado confirmed by the National Weather Service was based on the Extended Fujita Scale, or EF, a scale that measures the intensity of a tornado on a scale of 0 to 5. Wind speeds in this category typically range from 65 to 85 miles per hour.

“We estimated winds at about 80 mph,” said Kevin Doom, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service.

The storm hit between 11:06 a.m. and 11:10 a.m. and traveled approximately 3.7 miles, according to Doom.

“The tornado touched down in extreme northwest Kendall County, then moved eastward into Kane County and came to rest in downtown Big Rock,” Doom said. “We had at least one report of a power pole down, as well as several downed trees throughout the area.”

Doom explained that the tornado formed through a squall line, which is a thin line of showers ahead of a cold front.

“It’s not uncommon to have small breaks along the leading edge, leading to a localized circulation that can develop into a tornado at times,” Doom said. “And that’s what happened yesterday.”

The last time a tornado hit Kane County was in August 2021.

tatturner@chicagotribune.com