The Chicago area is seeing some well-above-average temperatures on Tuesday afternoon, and according to the National Weather Service, the city tied a long-standing record for its warmest March 9.
According to the service, a temperature of 69 degrees was recorded at O’Hare International Airport, tying the warmest temperature on this date in Chicago history. The record was set back in 1974, according to NWS.
The logical follow-up question to that record is this: how long will the warmth last?
The answer to that question is at least a few days, but it comes with a big caveat in the form of several chances of rain, with the first of those chances coming on Wednesday. According to current forecast models, two different rain bands could move through the area Wednesday before things clear out, but cloudy conditions are expected to remain throughout the day.
Late Wednesday night, there is the potential for additional showers and even occasional thunderstorms, according to the latest forecast models released late Tuesday.
Thursday morning will see another chance of rain, and this time the rain will be steadier, lasting through the early afternoon hours. Thunderstorms will also be possible with this rainfall as a front moves through the area.
As that rain moves out, cooler temperatures will also move in, as winds will shift from the south to blowing out of the northwest.
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High temps Friday are expected to only reach into the low-to-mid 50s, and things will be even cooler over the weekend, with highs dipping back into the 40s and settling in around their seasonal averages.
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