Chicago is expected to experience a dramatic swing in temperatures this week, with the National Weather Service forecasting highs near 77 degrees on Thursday before dropping back into the 30s by Friday, according to a Mar. 23 announcement.
The unseasonably warm weather is about 20 degrees higher than normal for late March and comes just shy of the record high of 79 degrees set on March 26, 2007. Such abrupt changes highlight the volatility typical of spring in Chicago.
Rafal Ogorek, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service, said a heat wave from the southwestern United States will be responsible for bringing unusually high temperatures to Chicago over the next few days. “When you have strong fronts and weather systems moving through, with the lake still being fairly cold, it’s not unusual to see very large temperature swings here in the Chicago area this time of year,” Ogorek said.
Thunderstorms are possible Thursday as well, though Ogorek described them as “not a sure thing,” citing only a 40-percent chance of precipitation. After peaking on Thursday afternoon, temperatures are predicted to fall sharply overnight into Friday.
Looking ahead, Ogorek indicated that while short-term forecasts remain erratic, more stable warm weather is likely as April approaches. “The warmer temperatures will come and stick around and not just come and go like they have been the last couple weeks,” he said.
In advance of Thursday’s heat spike, forecasters predict highs reaching up to 52 degrees Tuesday and around 64 degrees Wednesday. Temperatures are expected to even out over Saturday and Sunday with highs close to 50 degrees.
