As the calendar flips to December, the Chicago area is going to see several rounds of rain, with the possibility of mixed precipitation or even some bursts of snow possible in some locations.
While the bulk of the moisture won’t arrive until Sunday, there will be several chances for rain in the days to come, potentially impacting travel and outdoor plans in the first full weekend of December.
Here is a timeline of what is to come.
Thursday Night
Cloudy conditions are expected to eliminate any chance of seeing the Northern Lights in the Chicago area, but things should remain mostly dry until late in the evening or even into Friday morning, according to forecast models.
Once those showers develop, there could be some mixed precipitation in areas further away from Lake Michigan. Some bursts of heavy snow are possible, but for the most part no real accumulation is expected on roadways, although some flakes could stick to grassy areas.
Friday Morning
Local
Scattered showers are expected to continue after daybreak, but there will be some breaks in the rain throughout the morning and into the afternoon hours.
High temperatures won’t be quite as warm as they were Thursday, but should still rise into the mid-to-upper 40s across the area.
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Friday Night
Temperatures aren’t expected to drop much late Friday and into early Saturday, likely hovering around the 40-degree mark.
That will end up being important because the rain that had been impacting the area is expected to expand in coverage, with some soaking precipitation possible in some locations, according to forecast models.
Saturday Morning
Things will start to dry out as daybreak approaches, and most of the day Saturday should see partly-to-mostly cloudy conditions and high temperatures in the low-to-mid 40s.
Saturday Night
Late Saturday and into early Sunday morning, the area will once again begin to see some scattered showers, expanding in coverage during the overnight hours.
This will be the bulk of the precipitation that the area will see over the weekend, and rain likely won’t let up for quite some time.
Sunday
While temperatures are expected to reach into the low-40s on Sunday, some areas could potentially see mixed precipitation or even snow in the early morning hours, though accumulations aren’t expected.
That mixed precipitation and snow will likely remain off to the west of the city of Chicago, with McHenry County and DeKalb County potentially seeing impacts of that precipitation.
As the day moves along, it is expected to transition to all rain, with highs in the low-40s across the area.
New Work Week
The new work week will likely see temperatures in the low-40s, with another round of rain possible on Tuesday, but long-range models are indicating that temperatures in the low-to-mid 50s could make their return to the forecast by the conclusion of the work week.
Stay tuned to NBC 5 for all the latest weather news and information.
