A substantial spring warm-up is on the way, but only for a few days.
Temperatures could reach close to 80 degrees with mostly sunny skies on Friday for a perfect segue into the weekend. Temperatures will be cooler, likely in the low 70s, along the lakefront.
The average for this time of year is 59 degrees, making conditions this week well above average most days. Friday will be the warmest day of the week if temperatures reach the upper 70s.
Thursday night will be cool, but clear before the warm air moves in Friday morning. By 7 a.m., temperatures will be in the low to mid-50s, but they will climb at least 20 degrees by the afternoon.
The unusually warm, dry week following last week's storms won't last, however. A drop in temperature and a chance for thunderstorms are in the forecast for Sunday following this week's warm weather.
The high temperature for Friday is 80 degrees followed by 75 degrees Saturday. By Sunday, temperatures will drop back into the 50s, where they are expected to remain for the next several days.
A chance for rain and thunderstorms is also in the forecast for Sunday, with models predicting anywhere between 0.1 to 0.7 inches of rain in Chicago. The thunderstorms will likely move in Sunday morning and last until early afternoon.
