Chicago's warm trend continues into midweek
High temperatures approach at least 70 degrees today and then reach into the middle
70s Monday and Tuesday as it looks more and more like spring 2008 has indeed
shifted into gear. An easterly breeze will probably modify readings in the immediate
vicinity of the lakefront with shoreline lake water temperatures at 50 degrees.
On Monday a cold front is forecast to move out of the Rockies into the Central Plains
and head this way. Southerly winds will stream north from the Gulf of Mexico and
Texas, bringing a quick warm-up to the Midwest as well as an increase in dew points
(a measure of moisture in the air). Ahead of the cold front, showers and
thunderstorms will move into Illinois Tuesday. Temperatures then moderate the
remainder of the workweek, but still run slightly above normal.
COOL DOWN AND POSSIBLE LAST FREEZE NEXT WEEKEND
The average date of the last spring freeze in the Chicago area generally runs from
mid- to late April, so the cold air indicated for this coming weekend could be the last
or certainly one of the last opportunities for freezing temperatures in northeast
Illinois this spring.