Chicago residents are being warned to prepare for a week of rapidly changing weather conditions, according to a March 13 announcement from local meteorologists.
The upcoming days will bring significant shifts in temperature and precipitation, which could impact travel and daily activities. Meteorologist Bill Snyder of WGN-TV said, “What we’re about to endure over the next couple days can only be classified as the real March madness.”
Friday is expected to have seasonable temperatures but will be marked by strong winds. “We could have wind gusts between 50 and 60 miles per hour,” Snyder said. He described the situation as a classic ‘Alberta Clipper’ jet stream event and advised residents to secure outdoor items: “Lock down anything that can fly away in the backyard. It’ll be down the block by the end of the day.”
Winds are forecasted to subside on Saturday, with normal temperatures and some snow flurries anticipated. However, conditions will change dramatically on Sunday. Snyder explained, “At first we’ll be warm, with temperatures in the 50s with springlike showers and potential thunderstorms. Then temperatures will plummet, the rain will switch to heavy, wet snow, and by Monday morning we will have plowable snow across the area.”
The exact amount of snowfall remains uncertain due to the nature of storms that begin as rain before turning into snow. “It’s always tricky when it starts as rain and then turns to snow,” Snyder said. “But this looks to be a snowfall where you’ll need to shovel.” Mark Ratzer from the National Weather Service added that travel may be affected throughout Sunday into Monday due to reduced visibility and accumulating snow on roads. He said predictions are still developing but advised vigilance: “It’s definitely something to keep an eye on.”
After Monday’s snowfall ends, temperatures are expected to drop sharply by Tuesday morning, reaching single digits in some areas with wind chills below zero. Snyder noted another rapid shift is likely later in the week: “And if that isn’t enough weather whiplash for you, we bounce back to temperatures likely in the 60s by next Friday.” Despite these dramatic changes within just a few days—including severe storms followed closely by heavy snowfall—Snyder said such variability is not unusual for March in Chicago: “March has been known to do some finicky things in this part of the country,” he said. “The next few days prove that.”
