Chicago in line for big midweek warm-up

North winds die off today and shift to the southwest later tonight, marking the end of the recent cold spell and the beginning of a warm-up that should send high temperatures well into the 60s Wednesday and Thanksgiving Day. In fact, tomorrow’s highs may not miss the 60° mark by much, and Friday afternoon’s readings could also come close.
While two consecutive days with 60°-plus temperatures in the last 10 days of November are not that unusual (16 occurrences in 136 years of data), three consecutive 60°-plus days have occurred only three times before in Chicago (the latest 40 years ago in 1966), and four consecutive 60°-plus days have been observed only twice.
Travelers across the nation this week should encounter favorable weather conditions in all but the Pacific Northwest and along the Mid-Atlantic seaboard, where heavy rains are expected. On Thanksgiving Day, over half of the continental United States may see highs in the 60s or 70s.
--By Paul Dailey, WGN Weather Center Meteorologist