We may be approaching the end of May, but you may have to fire up your furnace at least one more time this weekend, as below-average temperatures are expected to follow up a cold front that could bring severe weather to the region.
Before that front arrives, residents can expect warmer-than-normal temperatures on Thursday, with highs swinging upward into the mid-80s.
After that brief warm-up, a cold front will approach the Chicago area late Thursday and into Friday, and that front could potentially spark up showers and thunderstorms to wrap up the work week, according to forecast models.
Some of those storms Friday could be severe, but an “inversion layer” in the atmosphere could potentially prevent storm development in some locations.
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The Storm Prediction Center currently has the Chicago area and parts of northwest Indiana under a “slight risk” level for severe weather on Friday, with wind gusts of up to 50 miles per hour and heavy rainfall expected to be the main threats.
More details on that will come into focus in the coming days, but what seems more certain is that temperatures are going to drop quite precipitously in the days following those storms, with highs struggling to reach 60 degrees by Saturday.
That cooler pattern could potentially remain in place for several days, with forecasted highs currently in the upper-50s for Chicago on Sunday and Monday.
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In fact, warmer temperatures aren’t expected to return until late next week, with another chance of rain entering the forecast on Tuesday.
