Steady rain, thundershowers expected through evening commutes across Chicago area

As fall weather continues to settle in across Chicago and the suburbs, much of the area Monday will see below-average temperatures, cloudy skies and steady, scattered showers from morning until evening, the NBC 5 Storm Team said.

According to NBC 5 Meteolrogist Alicia Roman, steady, heavy rain is expected to continue throughout the morning. Some of those showers could contain rumbles of thunder or flashes of lightning, Roman said.

As of 5:15 a.m., the heaviest pockets of rain and some thundershowers were detected across Lake, central Cook and parts of Will County, NBC 5's Pinpoint radar showed.

Although occasional heavy downpours are most most likely in the morning hours, wet conditions will continue all day, Roman said, with both the morning and evening commutes impacted.

According to NBC 5 traffic reporter Kye Martin, rain had already begun to snarl Monday morning commutes, with several crashes and long drive times reported.

"You can expect rain pretty much at any point for your morning and afternoon," Roman said, with showers not expected to taper until late Monday into Tuesday.

Showers and isolated t-storms in green shaded area through 7 AM CDT this morning. Expect to encounter occasional downpours. Slow down when driving in heavy rain. If you are outside and hear thunder or see lightning, move indoors until the t-storm safely passes. #ILwx #INwx pic.twitter.com/BYOcVoQ6E6

— NWS Chicago (@NWSChicago) September 11, 2023

According to Roman, the rain is "much needed."

Following one of the driest Augusts on record, the latest U.S. Drought Monitor showed much of the Chicago area was back under "abnormally dry" conditions. By Monday evening, rain totals were expected to average between .5 inches to 1.5 inches in some parts, Roman said.

Experts say the dry conditions could result in a shortened "peak" fall foliage timeline this year, as drier leaves fall from trees faster than those with some moisture content.

Temperatures Monday are expected to be cooler, with highs in the mid-60s to mid-70s. That's slightly cooler than the average temperature for this time of year, Roman said, which sits at around 77 degrees.

Tuesday, the chance for rain continues as a weak system is expected to move into the area in the afternoon, with rain potentially lingering overnight and into Wednesday morning, the NBC 5 Storm Team said.