Saturday's unseasonably high temps may have been a cruel tease as the Chicago area braces for a major cool down.
Thunderstorms are expected to move in Sunday evening, the strongest of which could produce frequent lightning and periods of heavy rainfall, particularly in areas north of Chicago, according to the National Weather Service.
Temperatures began cooling down Sunday afternoon, topping out in the upper-60s, marking the start of a big cool down for the area.
The wet weather is expected to linger overnight and into Monday morning, with the potential for some snowflakes to mix in with the rain as temperatures fall into the low-40s, where they are expected to stay through Tuesday.
Things should warm up slightly later in the week, moving back into the 50s by Thursday.
Sunday’s mild temperatures follow a particularly warm Saturday, which saw highs hitting 80 degrees in some areas.
Showers and thunderstorms began spreading across the area, moving in from the west during the afternoon and evening hours Sunday.
Afternoon rain showers delayed the start of the Chicago White Sox game against the Cleveland Indians for more than an hour Sunday, the Associated Press reported.
Sunday’s storms come just after hail fell on several northern suburbs Saturday.
A band of severe thunderstorms began moving into parts of northern Illinois Saturday morning, sparking Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Boone, DeKalb, Kane, McHenry, Lake, Cook and Winnebago counties.
Several suburban areas, including Palatine, Harvard, Barrington, Lake in the Hills, Crystal Lake, Algonquin and others, reported hail ranging from the size of a pea to the size of a golf ball.
Meanwhile, in Chicago, sunny skies and temps in the 70s had residents flocking to the beach and enjoying the outdoors.
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"Got to take advantage of it while we can," Tracey Rubinoff said while on a walk on North Avenue beach with her friends. "It has been a very long time. It's great to have the sun out again."
From sun bathing to running along the lakefront, residents said Saturday's weather was much needed after a brutal winter.
"The never ending winter is over," said Joel Malchuk during a game of "spike ball" with his friends. "This is nice. We've got to take advantage of days like this."
