The Chicago area is in the throes of a bitter blast of cold Arctic air, but when will the region finally see more typical temperatures for the later stages of February?
According to the NBC 5 Storm Team, those warmer temperatures aren’t exactly rushing to get to the area, as a dome of high-pressure continues to steer weather systems around the region and trap a pocket of cold air in place overhead.
As a result, another cold weather advisory has been issued for Wednesday morning in McHenry, Lake, DeKalb and Kane counties in the Chicago area, with Winnebago, Boone, Lee and Ogle counties also included.
Wind chills could dip to minus-20 degrees again overnight, with a frigid start expected for the day Wednesday.
High temperatures Wednesday will still be on the chilly side, with highs in the mid-teens across the area. A flurry or two is possible, but a much stronger system is set to hammer parts of central and southern Illinois with snow, with some universities already postponing classes on Wednesday ahead of the winter storm.
The Chicago area will again see low temperatures in the single-digits on Wednesday night and into Thursday morning, and while clouds will give way to sunshine Thursday, temperatures will only warm slightly, with highs in the low-20s.
Winds at the end of the week will finally start to shift out of the southwest, pushing the high-pressure dome of the region and allowing temperatures to warm up into the weekend. By Saturday, highs should be around the freezing mark, and Sunday should see readings in the upper-30s or even the low-40s, according to forecast models.
Local
Temperatures will be even warmer Monday, with highs in the mid-40s across most of the Chicago area. That pattern will remain in place for several days, with slightly cooler temperatures currently in the forecast for later in the week. Those readings should be around their seasonal averages in the upper-30s, according to the NBC 5 Storm Team.
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