After a brief fling with spring on Sunday, cold air returned with gusty northwest winds and a temperature drop of 21 degrees between 9:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. Monday. With the return of cold weather, the connection was re-established between the Arctic and the eastern half of the country. At upper levels, the jet stream has once again slipped south and west of Chicago, bringing in northerly flow from the coldest regions of the hemisphere. The bitter cold that had blanketed that region for much of the winter has eased in recent weeks, so the extended cold spell under way here should not be that extreme. Meanwhile, the coldest air in this regime should settle east of Chicago. Nonetheless, temperatures will remain below normal for the next week, with occasional bouts of light snow from Thursday through Saturday, and another brief warm-up possible early next week.
WGN-TV Chief Meteorologist Tom Skilling and the WGN Weather Center staff provide daily coverage of weather in the Chicago area.
