Mild Weekend On Tap, But Don't Expect Much Snow To Melt
CHICAGO (CBS) -- After a quick blast of Arctic air on Thursday, a milder weekend is in store for Chicago this weekend, but don't expect all that snow to go anywhere anytime soon.
Friday's temperature is expected to reach about 33 degrees sometime in the afternoon. On Saturday, temperatures will climb as high as 37, before a slightly colder Sunday, when it will be about 34.
While those temperatures could melt some of the snow on the ground, and make shoveling out snowbound cars a bit easier, it will take much warmer temperatures for a lot longer than two days to get rid of the 19 inches of snow that fell during last weekend's blizzard – especially those much larger mounds of snow that have piled up from all the shoveling and plowing of streets and sidewalks.
For perspective, after the Groundog Day blizzard of 2011, it took more than a week for temperatures to rise above freezing, and even more than five days into a nine-day stretch when the high was at least 35 degrees – and often reached the upper 40s, and even the 50s – all 21 inches of snow that had fallen in Chicago had not yet melted.
The warmer temperatures also will create some patchy fog in the Chicago area, thanks to the thick snow pack.
Sunday will also bring a chance of rain and sleet in the evening, transitioning to spotty light snow as colder air returns Sunday night.
