Parts of the Chicago area Wednesday were waking up to a rainy morning, the NBC 5 Storm Team said, with light scattered showers and chances for rumbles of thunder expected to last through the rush hour commute.
As of 5:20 a.m., Live Doppler 5 Radar showed scattered showers across Chicago's north and west counties, including McHenry, Lake, Boone, Kane, DeKalb, and moving into parts of Cook County Some areas were seeing more moderate rain and even lightning strikes, radar showed, especially in parts along the Illinois-Wisconsin line.
Rain was likely through around the 10 a.m. hour, NBC 5 Meteorologist Alicia Roman said. Rain chances were expected to diminish through the mid-morning hours.
The afternoon was expected to be dry for most, Roman added, though another isolated shower was possible Wednesday evening and overnight.
Temperatures Wednesday will be a wide range, Roman said, with some parts seeing highs in the mid-to-upper 40s, while others could see temperatures in the upper 50s.
"The farther south you go, that's where you see the warmer temperatures," Roman said, noting Kankakee could see a high of 57 degrees. O'Hare was expected to reach 50 degrees, Roman said, with a high of 49 in Woodstock, and 46 in Waukegan.
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Isolated shower chances continue for Thursday afternoon, Roman said, with temperatures in the mid-40s. Friday will see bright and warmer conditions, Roman said, with the "warmest day of the week expected."
"Looking fantastic Friday," Roman said, with temperatures in the mid-50s and low 60s. "A nice way to end the work week and wrap up February."
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Saturday and Sunday would be cooler, but dry, Roman said, with temperatures back in the 30s.
When does spring begin?
Meteorological spring always begins on March 1, with the date chosen to help make for easier recordkeeping when it comes to weather records.
Astronomical spring begins on the vernal equinox, the date where the sun crosses over the Equator and is higher in the sky in the Northern Hemisphere than it is in the Southern Hemisphere. That event will occur at approximately 4:01 a.m. Central Daylight Time on Thursday, March 20, according to the National Weather Service.
