As Chicagoans wrap themselves tighter against the raw, January chill, the weather forecast for the week has residents bracing for an assortment of snowy conditions. With the sun shining today and temperatures reaching a comfortable high near 44 degrees, according to the National Weather Service, the city’s West southwest wind flows at a brisk 10 to 15 mph, spiked with gusts as high as 25 mph.
The relative warmth is however fleeting, as the night promises increasing clouds and lows hovering around 34 degrees. Tuesday then offers a slight reprieve with a high near 50 and "a slight chance of sprinkles after noon." Yet, the mildness is a precursor to a drastic shift, with mostly cloudy nights ensuing and temperatures dipping back down to the mid-30s, followed by the likelihood of snow showers come Wednesday.
Wednesday's forecast comes with a stark reminder of winter's grip: a seventy percent chance of snow showers, particularly before noon, set against a mainly cloudy sky with a high teetering at around 36 degrees. Additionally, the wind adopts a northerly bite, gusting powerfully at speeds as high as 40 mph. "A 30 percent chance of snow showers" persists into Wednesday night, when the temperature is expected to plunge to a biting 18 degrees, Fox32 Chicago describes the weather as blustery, painting a rather stark image of midweek Chicago.
By Thursday, chances of snow showers before noon dwindle to 20 percent, offering a glint of respite beneath partly sunny skies and a high of merely 27 degrees. But the brief interlude gives way to another chance of snow Thursday night. Temperatures on this day, will remain in the upper 20s before rebounding slightly to the low to mid 30s on Friday, as FOX32 Chicago reports, "Scattered snow will remain in the forecast on Friday and again on Saturday."
The weekend does not seem to offer much respite, with the possibility of snow showers extending into Saturday, amidst mostly cloudy conditions and an even more frigid high near 23. Saturday night does little to allay the cold, dropping to a mere 8 degrees. A semblance of relief could arrive by Sunday, with partly sunny skies and a high near 18, though Chicagoans know better than to put their trust entirely in a January sun.
