Chicagoans are gearing up for a bout of wintry weather, with a biting wind advisory already taking effect. As reported by the National Weather Service, Wednesday saw a high likelihood of snow showers before 8 am, alongside strong west winds blasting from 30 to 35 mph, gusting to potentially disruptive speeds of up to 50 mph. The chance of precipitation stood at 60%, anticipating less than a half-inch of fresh snow accumulation.
In sync with the forecast, ABC7 AccuWeather's meteorologist Tracy Butler has warned that the city should expect to frequently experience wind gusts over 50 miles per hour throughout Wednesday. According to a National Weather Service report, windy conditions are to gradually ease by nightfall, but temperatures are poised to drop to a chilling low around 26 degrees.
The weather outlook for Thanksgiving Day presents a refreshing change, with a mostly sunny sky and a high near 33 degrees. Yet, it won’t do much to completely halt the cold snap, as the west-northwest wind is expected to cling on at around 20 mph, with gusts potentially reaching 30 mph. The ABC7 Chicago report confirms that Thursday and Friday will remain dry but with lingering breezy conditions.
Butler further asserted that the snow is to start rolling in around 4 a.m. on Saturday, leading to a snowy day with a high near 32 degrees, as the precipitation chance hits a definitive 100%. This aligns with the forecasts predicting a snowy weekend, capped off with potential rain mix and largely cloudy conditions by Saturday evening. Those planning to venture out into Black Friday sales will be met with more forgiving, mostly sunny skies, though the temperature will hardly budge from the 33-degree mark.
The weekend's snow event is scheduled to taper off by late Sunday morning. However, the upcoming week seems to maintain the chilly trend, with a continued chance of snow showers on Monday and temperatures dipping to around 22 degrees by Tuesday. Chicago residents should bundle up and stay informed as the city heads into a week fully adorned by the embrace of winter's onset.
