Easter Sunday is a day for family gatherings and observances, but will rain spoil those plans and force activities to move indoors?
This week is seeing an active weather pattern emerge in the Chicago area, with fluctuating temperatures and multiple chances of strong-to-severe thunderstorms, primarily on Friday night and into Saturday morning.
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WATCH HEREAccording to the Storm Prediction Center, the entire Chicago area is at a “slight” risk of severe weather on Friday night, with the main threats of gusty winds and large hail. There is also a non-zero chance of tornado development, according to alerts.
Once a cold front passes through the area Saturday morning, it will also leave in its wake substantially cooler temperatures, and that will be one of the main weather stories for Easter Sunday, as temperatures are only expected to rise into the low-to-mid 50s.
Typically by April 20 the average high temperature in the city of Chicago is 61 degrees according to the National Weather Service, but that will not be the case for the holiday, according to forecast models.
As for the rain, there is bad news on that front too, as a storm system is expected to begin pushing up from the south late on Saturday, bringing showers to parts of the Chicago area south of Interstate 80.
By Sunday however that rain will be a lot more widespread, with showers expected to persist for most of the day, according to forecast models.
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There could also be occasional embedded thunderstorms according to the National Weather Service, though those storms aren’t expected to be severe.
By Monday things will begin to clear out and warm up, with highs soaring back into the upper-60s or even the low-70s by Tuesday.
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