As the Chicago area approaches what could be the warmest February on record, get ready for another round of comfortable weather and more sunshine.
Monday saw daytime temperatures in the 40s -- and it was just a preview of what's to come. Readings will likely climb back into the 50s by Tuesday, with temps in the mid-to-upper 50s by Wednesday.
According to the National Weather Service, these temperatures "are 5-10 degrees above typical values for this time of year."
Wednesday will bring a chance of a scattered shower, but precipitation chances appear limited in the coming week.
Clouds will start to build back in on Thursday and Friday, causing temperatures to dip. Initially, they'll fall into the upper-40s on Thursday and then drop into the upper-30s and low-40s by Friday.
After that, temperatures will rebound, with 50-degree weather likely next Sunday.
The fluctuation in temperatures could push Chicago back toward a record for the warmest February ever, with the average temperature of 39 degrees back in 1882 serving as the benchmark in that category, according to NWS data.
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So far this month, only two days didn’t reach 40 degrees: Feb. 16, which saw a high of 33 degrees, and Feb. 17, when the high temperature climbed to only 29 degrees.
And beyond this week, it's possible the rest of the month will have highs in the 40s and 50s.
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If that happens, the total number of days where temperatures reach or exceed 40 degrees would rise to 27 days. The record for the most 40-plus degree days in February is 25, which was set in 1998. Even though we have an extra day this month because of the leap year, it’s astonishing to only have two days not reach the 40s.
