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Yahoo
3 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Sunday forecast: Hazy sunshine, warming in Chicagoland ahead of high heat and humidity to start upcoming week
Weather Maps Interactive Radar Climate & Environment It was a chilly start as June began for some areas in Chicagoland, with temperatures as low as the upper 30s during Sunday's sunrise. But that's changing quickly. We're set for plenty of sun Sunday, though it could be hazy due to the Canadian wildfire smoke that's being blown into our area by northerly winds. Those winds will gradually shift to southeast, however, so temps will rise to the low 70s inland by Sunday afternoon, though it'll be closer to the mid-60s at the lakefront. By Monday, winds will be out of the southwest and gusty, which will send temps into the mid-80s. Some areas of Chicagoland could then see temps close to 90 for what's expected to be a hot, humid Tuesday (see more below). There was no Air Quality Alert issued for the Chicagoland area as of late Sunday morning, which is good news, though skies could continue to be a bit hazy at times due to the Canadian wildfire smoke that's been directed into the Chicago area since about Friday. The NOAA-GOES-19 satellite image depicts the area of smoke in the lighter gray shading which nearly encompassed all of Minnesota and Iowa on Friday. Dozens of large, out-of-control wildfires continue burning across Canada. They're depicted on the map below, as of Friday. Weather Maps Climate & Environment Interactive Radar Weather Bug Cameras 7-Day Outlook Weather Center Newsletter The extended outlook calls for south/southwest winds to drive our temps to near 90 on a muggy Tuesday, with possible late-afternoon and evening showers or thunderstorms. Wednesday then looks pretty soggy, with highs in the mid- to upper 60s and a chance of isolated thunderstorms. We dry out on Thursday and should see temps in the seasonal 70s by the afternoon. We had a cool start to the weekend across the Chicago area, but it won't last long as temps rebound quickly by later Sunday, with a return to summerlike warmth early next week. Dry weather takes hold for several days before the next chance of showers and thunderstorms arrives late Tuesday into Wednesday as a cold front slides through the area. The image below tracks the arrival of several weather systems and multiple chances for rain during the upcoming week. Some beneficial rainfall is possible for the Chicago area, with even heavier totals forecast across the south Central Plains. A large portion of the Chicago metro area now sits in 'moderate drought' conditions. The area of moderate drought statewide grew from just over 17% a week ago to nearly 23% in the latest outlook. May 2025 was quite dry for much of the state. Many areas saw less than half of their normal rainfall, with 2-4-inch deficits for the month pretty common. Climate and Environment news: Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Monday forecast: Staying cool in Chicagoland, with increasing clouds — but no Memorial Day rain
Weather Maps Interactive Radar Climate & Environment If you're planning outdoor activities around Chicagoland on this Memorial Day, you should be fine, because there's no rain in the forecast. But make sure to have warmer clothes, especially if you're near Lake Michigan. Temperatures will again be on the cool side Monday, with highs in some locations about 10 degrees below average. You'll find the warmest temps in areas to the south and west of Chicago, where highs may reach the low 70s. But further north, highs will stay in the mid-60s, even as low as the upper 50s close to the lake. Winds will remain calm but will stay out of the northeast, creating the cooler lakeside temps. There's also plenty of sunshine around Chicagoland to start Memorial Day, but we'll see increasing clouds into a mostly cloudy afternoon. Tuesday and Wednesday look to remain cool, with rain chances increasing for Wednesday. Then, finally, by the end of the week temps look to climb back toward seasonal averages (see more below). Weather Maps Climate & Environment Interactive Radar Weather Bug Cameras 7-Day Outlook Weather Center Newsletter This current stretch of unseasonably cool weather for Chicagoland continues into a ninth consecutive day Monday, but it's going to break soon. The average high temp is in the mid-70s for this part of late May, but as you can see, we've been well below that since the start of last week (numbers are through this past Sunday): We did have some warmth this month, but it was quite fleeting. We hit our first 90-degree temp on May 15, which feels like a long time ago now. On our scorecard of temps of 80 degrees or warmer, we've racked up only a handful so far at O'Hare International Airport and a few more at Midway International Airport. But for those yearning for more summer-like conditions, we have good news: Warm air is on the way! Things look to take a turn toward at least seasonally average temps as we wrap up May and start June. Then things look to creep even above average for the first part of June, at least according to long-term forecast models at the moment. June, the first of our summer months, shows average daily highs at O'Hare beginning in the mid-70s and elevating all the way into the mid-80s by the end of the month. So even though it hasn't felt like it lately, summer is coming. That also means more sunlight, as we head into the longest days of the year around Chicagoland. Temperatures aside, we could definitely use rain in Chicagoland, because lack of rainfall has been an issue this month. May is typically our wettest month of the year, with about 4 1/2 inches of rain on average, but we're way behind on that amount. Since Jan. 1, we're down by 4 inches of precipitation overall, and some of that has to do with our lack of snowfall this past winter. But we've also had a dry May, with only an inch of precipitation during a month when we usually get more than 4 inches of rain. The dry weather really showed up this month in a visual way that we rarely see around here, too. It was just over a week ago now that strong southerly winds picked up a lot of dirt from not-yet-planted fields in central Illinois and hurled it toward Chicagoland in 60-mph gusts as a dark wall of dust. Dust storms are something we see more often downstate or out in more arid parts of the western U.S. The last time we had a big dust storm in Chicago was more than 30 years ago, and our biggest ever was part of the 'Dust Bowl' atmospheric phenomena in the 1930s, almost a century ago. But the event that happened a week ago last Friday was the first-ever Dust Storm Warning issued for the City of Chicago. Former WGN Chief Meteorologist Tom Skilling talks about Chicago's dust storm Not surprisingly, all of Chicagoland is under some form of drought at the moment. The USDA's Drought Monitor, released every Thursday, places most of us in the area considered 'abnormally dry' to 'moderate drought.' But there are far worse drought conditions on the Great Plains as we get deeper into planting season. Lake Michigan water temps are on the rise as we approach summer, but they're still very chilly. Last weekend, we had our first 60-degree water temp along the Chicago shoreline so far this year. Since then, we've backed those temps off into the mid-50s. The water is still dangerously cold. Water colder than 70 degrees can zap a swimmer's energy very rapidly. The first part of the week will stay cool, but we're looking at an uptick by the end of the week and into next weekend, when temps look to hit more seasonal averages as we get into June. Climate and Environment news: Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Sunday forecast: Clouds clear by afternoon hours, but staying cool around Chicagoland
Weather Maps Interactive Radar Climate & Environment The Sunday of Memorial Day weekend should be mostly dry and sunny around Chicagoland, at least after some morning cloud cover and showers clear out. But the lengthy stretch of cool weather continues, even as we mark the unofficial first weekend of summer. WGN-TV Weather Producer Bill Snyder explains the below-average temperatures We're getting cloud cover and some scattered showers around the area early Sunday. Most areas should see clearing by later Sunday morning, though some areas in the southern part of Chicagoland and Northwest Indiana could see clouds and showers linger into the early afternoon. Winds will remain calm out of the east/northeast, but the direction will once again create lakeside cooling. And it'll remain cool overall yet again around Chicagoland, with inland highs in the mid-60s and lakeside highs in the upper 50s, still well below typical Memorial Day weekend temperatures. That doesn't look to change much on Monday for Memorial Day itself, though temps could be a touch warmer than Sunday. If you're tired of the cool temps and aching for some more summer-like conditions, though, we have good news: Temps look to perk back up to more normal levels by the end of the coming work week. See more below. Believe it or not, the city's beaches have officially opened for the season, but use caution: Water temperatures are on the colder side, around 56 degrees. Those who swim in water between 35 and 60 degrees could suffer from 'cold water shock,' which is when the cold water triggers an involuntary gasp and can cause swallowing of water or drowning. We doubt many people will need to cool off in Lake Michigan from the chillier-than-normal temps this weekend, but if you do jump in, extra caution is urged. Weather Maps Climate & Environment Interactive Radar Weather Bug Cameras 7-Day Outlook Weather Center Newsletter The extended outlook for Chicagoland calls for on-and-off showers on Tuesday, with mostly cloudy skies and temps still in the mid-60s. Wednesday then calls for some light rain at times, with high temps only in the lower 60s. Finally, we're back into the seasonal 70s for Thursday and into the last days of May! The warmer temps also come with a slight chance of showers each day at the end of the coming week. And while rain dampers outdoor plans, we do need it, because Chicagoland has been mired in dry conditions recently. As the 7-day forecast shows, by next weekend we could see temps back into the mid-70s, as we flip the calendar from May to June. Climate and Environment news: Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
18-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Sunday forecast: Cool and dry, start of a chilly week around Chicagoland for this time of year
Weather Maps Interactive Radar Climate & Environment If you got out the shorts and flip-flops for the 90-degree temperatures at the end of last week, that's great, because summer is just around the corner. But at least for this week, you'll need to put those sweatshirts, long pants and jackets right back on. We're looking at a much chillier week than normal around Chicagoland for this time of year, with high temps possibly around 20 degrees cooler than seasonal averages by Tuesday. Former WGN Chief Meteorologist Tom Skilling talks about Friday's dust storm It won't be quite that cool on Sunday, but highs will still only reach the low 60s inland, while winds shifting to northeast later Sunday will keep lakefront highs only in the low 50s. It will stay dry Sunday, with morning cloud cover clearing somewhat later. The next chance for rain arrives late Monday and especially into Tuesday. As of now, the inland high for Tuesday is just 52, which is 20 degrees below seasonal averages, with lakeside highs Tuesday possibly not even cracking 50. See below for more information on the cooling trend that's hitting Chicagoland and if temps will at least rebound to seasonal levels by Memorial Day weekend for the unofficial start of summer. Weather Maps Climate & Environment Interactive Radar Weather Bug Cameras 7-Day Outlook Weather Center Newsletter As mentioned, the extended outlook calls for a soggy Tuesday, with light rain at times and the chilliest afternoon temps in Chicagoland since mid-April. We do dry out by Wednesday afternoon and will see temps back toward 60. Then we're back to temps closer to the seasonal average of 71, at least in the upper 60s, by the end of the coming three-day Memorial Day weekend, which begins Saturday. MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY The forecast GIF below tracks the next precipitation-maker, arriving by Tuesday: The near-term forecast shows temps well below normal for the Midwest and Northeast as a significant pattern change takes shape, with regular troughs digging out of Canada bringing frequent cool-air intrusions. Climate and Environment news: Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
11-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Sunday forecast: A sparkling, sunny Mother's Day on tap for Chicagoland, with inland highs in the 70s
Weather Maps Interactive Radar Climate & Environment Happy Mother's Day, Chicagoland! And what a gift from the weather, as we have a sparkling, sunny Sunday on tap. In fact, it even calls for the use of sunscreen if you'll be outside for prolonged periods. Abundant sunshine and no rain is in the forecast, with high temperatures inland possibly reaching the mid-70s in some locations. It'll remain cooler lakeside, however, with an east/southeast breeze keeping highs in the mid-60s near Lake Michigan. And there's more mild May weather in the forecast all this coming work week, with several days projected to reach the 80s, or close to it (see more below). Weather Maps Climate & Environment Interactive Radar Weather Bug Cameras 7-Day Outlook Weather Center Newsletter After high temps approach 80 inland on Monday, the extended outlook calls for more clouds on Tuesday, with a chance of showers and thunderstorms, some possibly strong to severe. We'll certainly keep an eye on that as Tuesday approaches. Temps dip a little Tuesday with the cloud cover, then the warmth builds again, with Thursday looking to be the warmest day of the coming week at this point. Highs forecast in the mid-80s could make it the warmest day of the year so far, but the warm temps also bring the possibility for strong to severe storms again on Thursday. It'll continue to remain cooler by the lake all week, however, but still pleasant. Around the U.S., temps soar into the mid-90s by Sunday in the northern Plains, and then 80s take over the eastern U.S by next week, with 90s showing up in the Southeast by late next week. Intense heat develops across the Lone Star State, as Texas goes into the 100s as a summertime ridge over the Southwest U.S. is pushed eastward. A huge area of much warmer than normal temperatures, as much as 17 degrees above normal, is set to take over portions of the Dakotas. A pattern change is being hinted at, as a transition to much cooler than normal weather is shaping up across Canada and the Rockies, with the warmest air relative to normal shifting east. A huge area of 2 inches or more over the next seven days, with even higher amounts in the 4- to 6-inch range, is expected across Florida and Georgia. Climate and Environment news: Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
