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Cooler Near The Lake, But Idyllic For Entire Chicago Area

CHICAGO (CBS) -- Temperatures will be quite a bit cooler along the lakefront than in inland areas Friday afternoon, but CBS 2 Meteorologist Megan Glaros says it's only the difference between a nice day and a nicer day.

At 9:35 a.m., the temperature was 53 degrees at O'Hare International Airport, 56 at Midway, 60 in Aurora, and 62 in Joliet.

The high will climb to 77 degrees at areas away from the lake, where a warm front is in control. But a cold front is wrapped around the lake in a parabolic shape, and thus, areas close to the lakefront will only reach the 60s.

Some rain is possible as a result of the stationary boundary between the two fronts, but not much is expected.

The cold front will move northward out of the area on Saturday, and highs will be in the 70s for everyone. The forecast high is 78 degrees.

The record high of 74 degrees for St. Patrick's Day is expected to be broken. That high dates all the way back to 1945.

Thus, for the first time ever in Chicago, you can theoretically send St. Patrick's Day sitting on a beach with a green tropical cocktail, wearing a green grass skirt and a top made from green coconuts. Or you could go to the parade on Columbus Drive wearing green shorts.

Scattered showers and an isolated storm are possible Saturday, but the chances are only about 30 percent.

In the week to come, the high for Sunday is 76, for Monday and Tuesday, 78, for Wednesday 74, and for June – get ready to be disappointed… 66. But that's still 20 degrees above normal for mid-March.

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