After a day filled with heavy, wet snowflakes and rain, a taste of winter is expected to continue Thursday in the Chicago area as another rain-snow mix soon arrives.
“Still chilly and windy,” NBC 5 meteorologist Alicia Roman said, noting that wind gusts could reach up to 35 miles per hour at times. “This pesky weather system still persists.”
The early morning hours of Thursday started with dry weather in most areas, Roman said. However, a band of snow was expected to slowly creep into the region around 8 a.m., beginning in far northern counties.
By 11 a.m., this system should have passed through Chicago, southern counties and northwest Indiana, Roman said.
Around 3 p.m., scattered rain showers are expected to arrive as temperatures begin to warm up to 40 degrees, Roman said.
Scattered showers can be expected through Thursday afternoon and early evening, lasting about 20 hours, Roman said. Drier conditions were expected overnight.
Many areas will start out dry on Friday, Roman said, although lake-effect rain showers could hit northwest Indiana and parts of Cook County early in the morning.
By lunchtime, Roman said, the showers should dissipate.
Temperatures Friday are expected to be slightly warmer, with highs in the mid-40s, Roman said.
The weekend starts off nice, with sunshine and dry conditions Saturday, Roman said. Gradual warming also continues, with high temperatures in the upper 40s.
Widespread rain returns Sunday afternoon, Roman said, and wet weather is expected to persist through Monday morning. Despite the rain, temperatures will continue to warm, Roman said, with highs in the 50s on Sunday and the 60s next week.
Warmer temperatures are expected to remain in the long-range forecast for Chicago, with the NBC 5 Storm Team reporting a 50% chance of temperatures being above average over the next two weeks.
NBC Chicago
