It may only be February, but the Chicago area forecast for the next few days will feel more like April with temperatures in the 50s and a looming chance of thunderstorms.
According to the NBC 5 Storm Team, Thursday will be an "unseasonably warm" day, with a high temperature of 57 degrees. The average high for this time of year, NBC 5 Meteorologist Roman said, is around 33 degrees, with an average low of 20 degrees.
As of 5:15 a.m. the temperature at O'Hare was already significantly warmer than that, clocking in at 49 degrees, Roman said.
While temperatures will be warm, much of the day will remain cloudy. Thursday afternoon will also see strong, gusty winds of up to 40 miles per hour, and the potential for thunderstorms to develop, Roman said.
According to Roman, the storm potential will come in two batches, with the first pushing through counties to the west around 12 p.m. Another cluster is expected to follow around 3 p.m. and last into the evening hours.
"There's a low-end risk we could see a couple strong storms with gusty winds between 5 p.m. and 9 p.m.," Roman said, of the chance for severe weather.
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An alert from the National Weather Service warned the storms, primarily along and northwest of I-55, could bring downpours, lightning strikes, and damaging winds and hail.
The showers are expected to come to an end before daybreak, with much of Friday remaining dry, Roman said. Temperatures Friday will remain warm with a predicted high of 56 degrees, Roman said, which would tie the record-high temperature set in 1886.
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According to the NWS, some spots could hit 60, breaking the 138-year-old record.
Showers are expected to return late Friday, Roman said, as clouds moving in after midnight could produce a quick-moving system.
By 7 a.m. Saturday however, the rain is expected to move out.
Temperatures will begin to drop by Saturday, but those readings will remain above average, with highs in the upper 30s and low 40s, the NBC 5 Storm Team said.
