Wind gusts in excess of 40 m.p.h. howled over northeast Illinois and the Great Lakes during the past 24 hours. Cold northwest winds brought the season’s first snow cover to portions of Upper Michigan and freezing temperatures to Chicago’s suburbs this morning. The week ahead actually starts out and ends up cool, but the intermediate days will be warm enough to boost the overall weekly average to about 53°. Temperature-wise this Oct. 17-23 would thus be somewhat “typical”—placing it almost midway between the extremes—the record high 69.2° average in 1920 and the 36.6° averaged back in 1930. A primarily southwest jet stream flow aloft will hold cold air well to the west and north, but at least three low pressure systems are expected to track through the area this week. Frequent rainy periods with heavy downpours possible Thursday could push this week’s total rainfall well in excess of an inch and a half.
WGN-TV Chief Meteorologist Tom Skilling and the WGN Weather Center staff provide daily coverage of weather in the Chicago area.
