By Meteorologist Tom Skilling
A decidedly warmer weather pattern takes shape in coming days. It's a warm-up which will dominate Chicago's weather through the weekend, propelling Saturday afternoon highs well into the 80s. That's a temperature level which hasn't been equaled in the 8.5 months since an 89-degree high on Sept. 3 last year. Saturday's predicted 88-degree high, and the 86-degree peak reading on Sunday, will make this the area's warmest weekend of 2012. The rising temperatures are to be accompanied by strong southerly winds and increasing humidities.
Warming a big change after Wednesday's 21-degree temperature pullback
The change to warmer, more humid weather will be quite noticeable. It comes in the wake of quite a sharp temperature downturn.
Wednesday's 65-degree high represented a 21-degree plunge from Tuesday's July-level 86. The day's cool northeast winds chilled the city's lakeshore locations and beaches even more. There, temperatures struggled to hit 60-degrees---a 26-degree plunge from 24 hours earlier.
The warm-up comes in a meteorological spring during which 78 percent of days have posted temperature surpluses
The predicted warm-up comes in a season which has been dominated by mild air. Since March 1, 78 percent of Chicago's daily highs have been above normal.
May is running a temperature surplus of nearly 6 degrees, and is the eighth consecutive month to average above normal.
Influx of Gulf moisture could ignite thunderstorms as early as Sunday afternoon
Dew points, meteorologists' favored measure of atmospheric moisture, surge to the mid 60s by Saturday afternoon---readings which reflect a level of moisture common on the Gulf Coast.
Daytime heating, combined with cooling aloft, as an upper disturbance rides into the area Sunday, could set the stage for a late weekend eruption of thunderstorms. New forecast data brings storms into the area earlier than initial indications. The updated scenario would have storms erupting as early as Sunday afternoon and evening---and in potentially greater numbers Sunday night.
An average of a suite of computer rainfall projections generated by the supercomputers of at least four meteorological forecast centers over the past three days, suggests around 0.73 inches of rain may occur in the late weekend storms. But spring rains rarely fall evenly, varying widely across the area. AT least some forecasts produce rains exceeding 2 inches.
Another warm spell mid and late next week?
One of the most interesting forecast developments in the longer range has been the suggestion of a formidable second surge of warmth which could sweep into the Chicago area the second half of next week. Temperatures at that time could exceed this weekend's predicted readings, which would assure a warm close to May 2012. Stay tuned!
A decidedly warmer weather pattern takes shape in coming days. It's a warm-up which will dominate Chicago's weather through the weekend, propelling Saturday afternoon highs well into the 80s. That's a temperature level which hasn't been equaled in the 8.5 months since an 89-degree high on Sept. 3 last year. Saturday's predicted 88-degree high, and the 86-degree peak reading on Sunday, will make this the area's warmest weekend of 2012. The rising temperatures are to be accompanied by strong southerly winds and increasing humidities.
Warming a big change after Wednesday's 21-degree temperature pullback
The change to warmer, more humid weather will be quite noticeable. It comes in the wake of quite a sharp temperature downturn.
Wednesday's 65-degree high represented a 21-degree plunge from Tuesday's July-level 86. The day's cool northeast winds chilled the city's lakeshore locations and beaches even more. There, temperatures struggled to hit 60-degrees---a 26-degree plunge from 24 hours earlier.
The warm-up comes in a meteorological spring during which 78 percent of days have posted temperature surpluses
The predicted warm-up comes in a season which has been dominated by mild air. Since March 1, 78 percent of Chicago's daily highs have been above normal.
May is running a temperature surplus of nearly 6 degrees, and is the eighth consecutive month to average above normal.
Influx of Gulf moisture could ignite thunderstorms as early as Sunday afternoon
Dew points, meteorologists' favored measure of atmospheric moisture, surge to the mid 60s by Saturday afternoon---readings which reflect a level of moisture common on the Gulf Coast.
Daytime heating, combined with cooling aloft, as an upper disturbance rides into the area Sunday, could set the stage for a late weekend eruption of thunderstorms. New forecast data brings storms into the area earlier than initial indications. The updated scenario would have storms erupting as early as Sunday afternoon and evening---and in potentially greater numbers Sunday night.
An average of a suite of computer rainfall projections generated by the supercomputers of at least four meteorological forecast centers over the past three days, suggests around 0.73 inches of rain may occur in the late weekend storms. But spring rains rarely fall evenly, varying widely across the area. AT least some forecasts produce rains exceeding 2 inches.
Another warm spell mid and late next week?
One of the most interesting forecast developments in the longer range has been the suggestion of a formidable second surge of warmth which could sweep into the Chicago area the second half of next week. Temperatures at that time could exceed this weekend's predicted readings, which would assure a warm close to May 2012. Stay tuned!
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