Chicagoans brace for a cloudy and breezy Wednesday, with the mercury hovering in the low 40s, as indicated by the National Weather Service's forecast. It's a relatively calm weather scenario today, but the city should anticipate rain after 3 a.m. and gusts peaking at 20 mph. "Mostly cloudy, with a high near 42. North northeast wind 5 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph," reports the NWS.
The dreary weather will not ease up as the week progresses, with a 70% chance of precipitation on Thursday and a high near 43 degrees. The NWS predicts an 80% chance of rain Thursday night, and despite a dip in the likelihood of rain to 30% on Friday, the patchy clouds shall persist. As we move into the weekend, skies clear up partially with "Mostly sunny, with a high near 41" on Saturday.
According to CBS Chicago, the city should see "breezy with increasing clouds" for Wednesday and a "cloudy with showers - some snow mix high: 41" for Thursday. It's cold comfort for residents expecting to enjoy a dry New Year’s Eve as temperatures are slated to take a dive into the 30s.
For those with plans to hit Lake Michigan, beware that hazardous conditions for small craft are expected tonight and will likely continue into the weekend. "Hazardous conditions for small craft are likely," says the NWS, this time spotlighting the treacherous waters that local mariners and enthusiasts will face, with these conditions spilling over into Sunday, and Monday. The outlook for the New Year’s kick-off doesn’t bring much relief either, with mostly sunny skies, yet with a high near a chilling 34 degrees.
