Forecast: Weekend begins sunny ahead of afternoon scattered showers, storms
The Next Few Hours
Extended Outlook
CHICAGO — A hot and sunny Saturday is getting underway, but parts of Chicagoland could see showers before the day is over.
Chicagoland woke up to sunny skies and temps in the high 70s, but the mercury is expected to continue rising as the day carries on.
Those ready for fall are in luck, as the days are getting shorter. Saturday night is the last night of sunsets at or after 8 p.m. for the rest of the year.
Heading into the evening hours, scattered showers and thunderstorms are predicted to enter parts of the area either in the afternoon or evening.
Currently, parts of the metro area are in a level 1 or 2 risk for seeing a strong or severe thunderstorm.
Damaging winds will be the biggest hazard with any severe thunderstorm, but there is also a threat of torrential downpours given the amount of humidity in the air.
Saturday temperature forecast
Highs are predicted to reach the 90s for a third consecutive day, making this yet another heat wave in the summer of 2025!
Lake Michigan Beach forecast
Breezy conditions will result in a modest 1-3 foot chop for area swimmers, but swim risk is to remain low. Water temperatures are at the summer peak so this is a good time to beat the heat and take a dip in Lake Michigan.
Boating Forecast
Farther out in the middle of the lake, southerly winds 15-25 mph will result in a 2-4 chop for area boaters.
Saturday Smoke forecast
Following a reprieve on Friday, smoke is set to re-enter Chicago's airspace through the Western U.S. rather than from Canadian wildfires. To date, 42,670 wildfires have burned 3,613,023 million acres across the U.S. to date, according to the National Interagency Fire Center in Boise, Idaho.
Saturday sunburn forecast
Heat and humidity will make for low sunburn times, make sure you have protective sunscreen if you're planning to spend any extended time outdoors.
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Current Conditions
Next Few Hours
Extended Outlook
Chicago precipitation chances
While there will be far more dry hours than wet ones, rain chances will pick up as we move through the weekend and into early next week with periodic thunderstorm clusters.
Best thinking now is the Sunday night/Monday timeframe for seeing the most organized area showers and thunderstorms.
Humidity forecast
Humid air is locked in place and going nowhere anytime soon. This will provide enough fuel for any thunderstorm that does develop.
When showers and thunderstorms are likely to occur
Monday looks like a fairly active day with multiple rounds of showers and thunderstorms likely. Any storm that does develop is capable of gusty winds and drenching downpours.
Torrential rainfall possible for areas west of Chicago
There is a Moderate Risk (level 3 of 4) for flooding rainfall issued by the Weather Prediction Center.
Storms producing very heavy rainfall are expected this weekend across portions of the Upper Midwest, especially during the overnight hours Saturday into early Sunday morning.
Total Precipitation through Wednesday Evening
Gargantuan rainfall totals are possible across Northern Missouri, Eastern Iowa and Western Illinois as a stationary front brings repeat rounds of thunderstorms. Across the Chicago area, current modeling suggests 1-2' may be possible, but locally heavier in some areas due to thunderstorms.
Chicago forecast high temperatures
Temperatures are forecast to stay in the 90s through the weekend with modest cooling expected next week with highs closer to normal.
6-10 day temperature outlook
Another round of hot weather is possible later next week according to the latest suite of computer models. The Midwest and Northeast with a high likelihood of seeing above to potentially much above normal temperatures during the August 14 through 18 period.
Forecast 850 millibar temperature anomaly (one mile above the surface)
This is a good proxy indicator of how temperatures will respond at ground level. (Blue shading represents cooler than normal temperatures; orange and red shading above normal temperatures)
This animation accurately depicts how temperatures are likely to respond relative to normal over the next week and a half. Across the Chicago area, above to much above normal temperatures are likely this weekend followed by a brief cooldown mid-week with heat resurging late next week.
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