Highs To Hit 90 In Some Areas; Look For Rain This Weekend
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Parts of the Chicago area are now considered to be in a severe drought, but at least some rain is expected this weekend.
But CBS 2 Meteorologist Mary Kay Kleist says we'll have to deal with dry conditions for the rest of the day Thursday, and we'll soon be saying goodbye to the comfortable temperatures we've seen since this weekend in favor of something more tropical.
As of 11:20 a.m., it was 85 degrees at O'Hare International Airport, 86 at Midway, and 84 at the lakefront. The wind was from the south at 6 mph, but will turn to be from the east and blow over the 76-degree waters of the lake, keeping lakeside temperatures from exceeding the 80s.
But some areas in the inland suburbs could see 90 degrees or more.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Drought Monitor has increased the drought level to severe along the Wisconsin state line, including for parts of Lake and McHenry counties. Most of the greater Chicago area remains under a moderate drought.
But a system of rain showers is now hovering over Minnesota, and it will take a dive to the southeast in time for the weekend.
A chance for a shower exists Friday as a low-pressure system approaches, and over the weekend, there is a 30 percent chance of passing storms.
But those storms will be more akin to the rapidly-moving pop-up storms that one might experience in Florida or Puerto Rico, with 20 minutes of heavy wind and rainfall before sunshine resumes as if nothing happened.
The high for Friday is 89, Saturday 87 and Sunday 92.
And instead of benefiting from the cold front behind the storm system, the city will once again be engulfed in hot, steamy wind from the southwest. The highs next week are back in the 90s again –94 on Monday, and 95 on both Tuesday and Wednesday.
