Northerly jet stream winds aloft will continue to steer arctic cold into the western Great Lakes and northeast Illinois, but Wednesday the pattern is expected to change with a more west to southwest flow gradually guiding cool maritime-source air from the west coast into this region. High temperatures should slowly nudge higher, reaching well into the 30s Thursday and 40s Friday as strong southwest winds take over at ground level accelerating snowmelt and the shrinking snow cover. Much of the week ahead low pressure systems will be concentrated along the Canadian border to the north and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, resulting in very little in the way of precipitation for northeast Illinois. Moisture will be on the increase Friday with rain likely Christmas Eve in advance of an approaching Central Plains low pressure system. The late-week warming combined with Saturday’s anticipated rain could eradicate much of the current snow cover by Christmas Day.
WGN-TV Chief Meteorologist Tom Skilling and the WGN Weather Center staff provide daily coverage of weather in the Chicago area.
