Chicago is bracing for a Thanksgiving with weather patterns mixing clouds and cold. The National Weather Service reports that today, it's mostly cloudy with a high near 44 degrees and light winds shifting from the south-southeast to the east-northeast throughout the day.
As travelers hit the road for holiday festivities, they are cautioned to watch for potentially slick conditions. Rain and snow showers are expected mainly between 9:00 P.M. and 3:00 A.M. tonight, with a 40% chance of precipitation and low temperatures around 32 degrees. The east-northeast wind at 5 to 15 mph could challenge travelers further, gusting as high as 20 mph.
On Thanksgiving Day, a few flurries could grace the morning, especially near Lake Michigan, according to CBS News. However, morning clouds are expected to clear, leading to partly sunny skies with afternoon temperatures remaining in the chillier mid-30s. North-northwest winds around 10 mph, potentially gusting up to 20 mph, are likely to add a brisk feel to the air.
Looking ahead to the weekend, it's blustery and the drop in temperatures makes it much colder, an enduring plunge that extends through the following Monday. Forecasters anticipate daytime highs to linger in the upper 20s, while nighttime lows sink to the mid-teens. Wind chill values during this period, making the actual temperature feel more biting, are expected to drop to as low as the single digits.
For those staying in the city during this holiday period, the forecast suggests bundling up will be essential. Friday is predicted to be mostly sunny with a high near 27 degrees and a brisk west wind of around 15 mph, gusting up to 25 mph. The following nights maintain a cold pattern with clear to partly cloudy conditions and lows hovering around the mid-teens.
Gradual warming is hinted at at the start of the next week, with forecasts calling for mostly sunny skies on both Sunday and Monday, with high temperatures creeping up to the upper 20s and lower 30s respectively.
