Areas of the Chicago area hard-hit by icy precipitation on Wednesday should get a reprieve during the overnight hours, but more changes are on the way, with cooler temperatures and gusty winds in the forecast.
Some locations saw nearly one-third of an inch of ice accumulation due to Wednesday’s storm, which left more than 100,000 residents without power and caused serious traffic issues across the area, downing trees and power lines on roadways.
While ice will still be an issue in some communities late Wednesday, ultimately remaining precipitation will switch back to rain as temperatures rebound slightly, with wind gusts also easing during the overnight hours.
The reprieve from gusty winds will be short-lived however, with those winds shifting out of the northwest. That will likely cause temperatures to drop in the afternoon hours, dropping readings to below freezing by the evening hours.
High temperatures won’t improve much from their overnight lows on Thursday night and into Friday, with readings in the upper-20s expected across the area. A dusting of snow could even occur in some locations, though accumulations aren’t expected to be significant.
The weekend should not only be drier, but also warmer, with highs around 40 degrees on Saturday and rising back into the low-to-mid 40s on Sunday.
Another chance of precipitation will arrive Monday, with readings in the low-to-mid 50s leading to additional rain for the area.
Local
Stay tuned to the NBC 5 Storm Team for all the latest updates.
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