Memorial Day weekend serves as the unofficial start of summer to many, and this year will match the part, as temperatures warm into the 80s through Monday.
Before the warmup, temperatures varied significantly across the Chicago area on Friday afternoon, with readings in the low 60s near the lakefront in Waukegan, the mid-60s near Midway Airport and the low-to-mid 70s near Kankakee.
Breezy conditions persisted, with wind gusts around 25 miles per hour, but NBC 5 Storm Team Meteorologist Iisha Scott explained winds will start to subside overnight into early Saturday.
Rain chances will remain, however.
A shield of rain moving from downstate Illinois could clip parts of the Chicago area early Saturday morning, though it’s mainly expected to stay south and east. Scott said northwest Indiana will see the highest chances of rain, but some showers could clip Cook and Lake counties, as well as the far southern suburbs.
Temperatures will likely be in the mid-50s and 60s on Saturday morning, kicking off the weekend in a mild manner, before climbing into the 70s and potentially the 80s by the afternoon. But with onshore winds, it will be cooler along Lake Michigan.
While mainly dry conditions will persist on Saturday afternoon, a couple of showers could arrive in the evening and stick around into early Sunday morning, Scott said. Once again, the greatest chances for precipitation will be across northwest Indiana and in southern communities.
Temperatures will start in the 50s and 60s before sunshine and warmer conditions arrive in the afternoon.
Readings in the upper 70s are expected then, with temperatures even reaching the low-to-mid 80s further south. Scott noted rain chances remain relatively low – 20% in the city on Saturday followed by a 30% chance on Sunday – with chances higher further south and into northwest Indiana.
On Memorial Day, temperatures will rise into the 80s, with readings in the 70s along the lakefront. The warmth continues Tuesday, with values sitting in the mid-80s.
Temperatures will hover around 80 degrees on Wednesday before dropping to the 70s on Thursday and Friday.
