Chicago's warmest February on record is ending on a turbulent note, with record high temperatures, a tornado outbreak, and now frigid temperatures all coming within 24 hours.
As the calendar turns to March, temperatures will quickly rise back to spring-like levels as soon as this weekend, with sunny skies and highs in the upper 40s on Thursday to start the warmup.
Temperatures are expected to exceed 50 degrees on Friday, with a big jump in temperatures heading into Saturday, when highs are expected to return to the low 60s.
The weekend will likely end on a much warmer note, with temperatures nearing 70 degrees again on a breezy day with partly cloudy skies.
However, there will be another cooldown in the area at the start of next week, likewise following a possible thunderstorm system.
While temperatures are expected to reach 70 degrees on Monday, gusty winds and scattered thunderstorms in the afternoon and evening could impact the Chicago area, with temperatures dropping significantly in the back end of this system.
Although temperatures could drop into the mid-30s Monday evening, the drop won't be quite as steep as what the Chicago area experienced overnight hours into Wednesday morning.
After Monday night, expected highs will be in the 50s through most of next week, still well above the average highs of early March.
Despite the cooling off period, the National Weather Service's Climate Prediction Center issued a 70 to 80% chance of above-average temperatures March 7-13 in the upper Midwest, so warmer temperatures may stick around for a long time.
