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Cloudy Skies To Give Way To Rain Overnight

CHICAGO (CBS) -- Cloudy skies will give way to rain Tuesday evening, followed by a jump into the 50s and a dash of wet snow all in the same day on Wednesday.

CBS 2 Meteorologist Megan Glaros says while the radar seemed to indicate bands of snow and freezing rain whooshing over Chicago Tuesday morning, the surface was actually to dry for any of the precipitation to hit the ground. It remained in the upper atmosphere as virga.

The temperature for this overcast Tuesday is expected to top out at 42 degrees.

But when Tuesday night comes around, look for some rain to hit the ground. A warm front will sweep in and displace a high-pressure system that has been spinning to the east of Chicago near Lake Erie, and as a result, you'll be needing an umbrella.

The precipitation will be all rain Tuesday night, as the temperature is not expected to drop low enough for any snow to develop. And Glaros says you shouldn't be surprised if you hear an occasional thunderclap or flash of lightning as the air grows unstable with the warm front moving in.

The high for Wednesday is expected to climb to a balmy 54 degrees that seems more apropos for early April. But before the day is out, a cold front will come in and cut the temperature to the point where wet snow may fall.

The temperature drops to 41 on Thursday – the first day of March and meteorological spring – but remember, that figure is still above average.

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