Chicago's week ahead in weather looks to be a mild roller coaster of sunny skies and potential showers, with a mix of conditions that could briefly impact outdoor plans. According to the detailed forecast, today will be sunny with a high near 55, accompanied by a south wind of 5 to 10 mph. However, temperatures are expected to slightly drop with a chance of showers rolling in by the week's end.
Wednesday is forecasted to remain mostly sunny with a high near 60 before a limited thunderstorm risk arises south of Highway 24 in central IL and Benton County Indiana going into Wednesday night through Thursday morning. This thunderstorm risk was highlighted by the National Weather Service Chicago/Romeoville IL in their latest hazardous weather outlook, which also predicts hazardous conditions for small craft on Lake Michigan later in the week.
The week's weather will take a cooler turn by Thursday, where a 20 percent chance of showers brings a mostly cloudy day with highs tapering off at around 45 degrees, according to the forecast. The relatively cooler weather will persist through the end of the week, offering a mostly clear night on Thursday with a low nearing 35 degrees.
The National Weather Service Chicago shared an outlook on X, saying, "We’ll see highs reach the 50s over the next couple of days with some spots likely to hit 60 tomorrow." They note that this warming trend comes before the aforementioned system of showers moves through, indicating an expected cool-down as the weekend approaches. Despite this, the weekend is set to deliver sunny conditions once more with highs in the low 40s on Friday and Saturday, before a bounce back up to 56 on Sunday.
We’ll see highs reach the 50s over the next couple of days with some spots likely to hit 60 tomorrow. This is before a system of showers moves through on Thursday cooling things off a bit for the end of the week. #ILwx #INwx pic.twitter.com/KuG2nmE6Gg
— NWS Chicago (@NWSChicago) February 20, 2024
Looking to the start of next week, the forecast remains optimistic for those wishing to enjoy a taste of early spring weather. Monday is predicted to be sunny with a high near 59, possibly carrying along a limited thunderstorm risk into the night. While no hazardous weather is expected immediately, the outlook suggests residents and mariners on Lake Michigan should stay alert for changing conditions as the week progresses.
