Chicago prepares for a cocktail of weather patterns this week, as the National Weather Service predicts a 30 percent chance of showers today, mainly after 5 pm, with an anticipated high near 55 degrees. Winds are expected to pick up, creating gusts as high as 25 mph. This comes with an 80% chance of precipitation tonight, which could lead to accumulations between a tenth and quarter of an inch, as per a forecast from a National Weather Service.
Record breaking warmth is expected today with highs in the 50s. Showers south of I-80 this afternoon will be areawide tonight. Locally heavy rain likely Fri morning with more seasonably mild temps Fri and Sat, followed by more record warmth Sun! #ilwx #inwx pic.twitter.com/Z2CFwLvYPN
— NWS Chicago (@NWSChicago) January 30, 2025
Tomorrow, Chicago faces a highly likely downpour with a 90% chance of rain and possible thunderstorms before noon, followed by likely showers in the early afternoon. Some of the storms could unleash heavy rainfall. While the temperature peaks around 37 degrees, a north wind makes its presence known at 10 to 15 mph with gusts as high as 25 mph before falling to around 35 by evening, as reported by the National Weather Service.
Transitioning into the weekend, Fox 32 Chicago highlights that today's temperatures might flirt with the record high of 55 degrees set back in 1988, but "the temperatures have dropped to a chilly-enough level this morning that it might be difficult to break that record" according to FOX 32 Chicago. The station's meteorologist reverts to a prediction of 54 degrees for today's high. Following early sunshine, clouds will thicken, and rainfall is expected to commence by late afternoon, intensifying early tomorrow, and impacting morning commutes.
Concerns over minor flooding are on the rise due to rain falling on already frozen grounds, potentially causing runoff issues. FOX 32 Chicago notes that this is "particularly the case along rivers in our area that have ice in them." As the weekend progresses, expect mostly cloudy skies with highs around 38 degrees on Saturday and potentially surpassing 50 degrees on Groundhog Day, Sunday.
