A heat advisory has been issued for most of the Chicago area Sunday, as temperatures will soar into the 90s and heat indices will climb above 100 degrees in areas away from Lake Michigan.
According to the National Weather Service, the “dangerous heat and humidity” led to the issuing of a heat advisory beginning at 1 p.m., taking effect in McHenry, DeKalb, Kane, DuPage, LaSalle, Kendall, Grundy, Will and Kankakee counties in Illinois, as well as southern Cook County.
In those areas, highs are expected to rise into the low-90s Sunday, but the real story will be the humidity, as heat indices will rise above 100 degrees, making for dangerously-warm conditions.
Residents are urged to take frequent breaks indoors or in the shade, and to remain hydrated at all times.
Areas near Lake Michigan were spared from the advisory, as was northwest Indiana. NWS did issue an air quality action day alert for northwest Indiana however, with high ozone levels contributing to poor air conditions in the area.
Residents with chronic respiratory issues are urged to limit prolonged outdoor activity throughout the day Sunday, according to officials.
A “back door cold front” will sweep in off the lake later Sunday, shifting winds out of the northeast and giving the area a bit of a reprieve from the heat and humidity heading into Monday. Temperatures will still be in the 80s and low-90s, but the heat indices won’t climb quite as high during the afternoon, according to forecast models.
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That reprieve will be short-lived, as winds will shift out of the south heading into Tuesday, driving heat indices back above 100 degrees.
That will just be the beginning, as by Wednesday some locations in the southern suburbs and in northwest Indiana could see heat indices of over 110 degrees.
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Wednesday and Thursday could flirt with record-high temperature territory in Chicago. Wednesday’s record is 97, and Thursday’s record is 100, both of which could be challenged as highs rise into the mid-to-upper 90s across the area.
According to NBC Chicago meteorologist Kevin Jeanes, Chicago has not hit 100 degrees since July 4-6, 2012. The city has only hit 98 degrees twice in the last 10 years, both in June 2022.
Thankfully some relief will finally arrive by Friday with temperatures in the 80s, but it won’t be until a cold front sweeps through late Friday that the humidity will finally abate, with highs dropping back into the 70s by Saturday.
