The Chicago area is in for yet another warm stretch as the region inches closer to what could become the warmest February on record, but just how high will temperatures get this week?
Highs Monday were expected to reach into the 40s, but that's only the start of what to expect this week.
In fact, readings are expected to climb back into the 50s by Tuesday, with temps in the mid-to-upper 50s by Wednesday.
According to the National Weather Service, these temperatures "are 5-10 degrees above typical values for this time of year."
There is a chance of a scattered shower on Wednesday as well, but precipitation chances appear limited in the coming week, though clouds will start to build back in on Thursday and Friday. That will cause temperatures to dip, first into the upper-40s on Thursday and then into the upper-30s and low-40s by Friday.
After that, the readings are expected to once again climb, approaching 50 degrees by next Sunday.
The fluctuation in temperatures could push Chicago back toward a record for the warmest February ever, with the average temperature of 39 degrees back in 1882 serving as the benchmark in that category, according to NWS data.
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So far this month, only two days didn’t reach 40 degrees: Feb. 16, which saw a high of 33 degrees, and Feb. 17, when the high temperature climbed to only 29 degrees.
And beyond this week, there’s a good chance the rest of the month will have highs in the 40s and 50s, which would bring the total number of days where temperatures reach or exceed 40 degrees to 27 days. The record for the most 40-plus degree days in February is 25, which was set in 1998. Even though we have an extra day this month because of the leap year, it’s astonishing to only have two days not reach the 40s.
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