After weekend temperatures plunged to record-cool levels for July, the area can expect more seasonable conditions starting Monday.
Milder temps will slowly return to the low- to mid-70s with partly sunny skies by mid-day and top out at 76 degrees for the evening, models show, and it's just the beginning of the rebound. Highs could reach nearly 80 degrees by Tuesday and a summery 82 on Wednesday. Those temps stick around for much of the week with a few chances for rain and thunderstorms.
The National Weather Service is tracking a chance of showers and storms after 1p.m. Tuesday and again on Wednesday. The next chance for rain comes Friday and lasts through Saturday.
Highs are expected to top out around 75 degrees into the weekend.
The summery switch comes after the mercury struggled to reach 70 degrees over the weekend and Sunday saw highs in the upper 50s to low 60s, the coolest July weekend in nearly three decades.
The record low for July 27 was 69 degrees, set in 1981. Saturday's temps peaked at 65 degrees, setting a new record low.
Meteorologists say a cold front that moved into the Chicago area on Friday evening is to blame for the record chill.
