While Chicagoans were basking in near-80ยบ warmth Sunday, Denver residents were reeling from a spring blizzard that brought up to a foot of snow to the metropolitan area by Sunday evening with as much as 2 to 3 feet expected in the foothills west of the city. White-out conditions closed area interstates and airports, and many residents lost power. East of the storm, southerly winds sent a surge of warmth and humidity northward through the Plains, raking portions of Texas, Kansas and Nebraska with high winds, large hail and tornadoes. Seventeen tornadoes were reported in Kansas while winds gusted to 85 m.p.h. at Sanger, Texas (north of Dallas-Ft.Worth).
As this storm heads east into the Midwest this week and passes south of Chicago, the combination of clouds, rain and east winds off of chilly Lake Michigan will result in major temperature drops here with highs in the 50s inland and 40s near the lake by midweek.
WGN-TV Chief Meteorologist Tom Skilling and the WGN Weather Center staff provide daily coverage of weather in the Chicago area.
