An intensifying storm in the Upper Mississippi Valley will not only boost temperatures here to rare 80º territory Sunday, but it will generate very strong south winds with gusts in excess of 40-45 m.p.h. If Sunday’s high reaches 80º, it will mark the latest such occurrence here in eight years (since 80º on Oct. 28, 1999).
While Chicago has been graced with warmer than normal weather much of October, residents are well aware that approaching late autumn’s chill cannot be too far away. Temps will crash Monday afternoon as winds shift into the northeast with highs the rest of the week to be at more seasonable levels hovering near 60º. An even stronger cool-down is expected by next weekend with readings struggling to reach 50º by Saturday.
A National Weather Service storm survey team investigated the devastating twister that struck Nappanee, Ind., Thursday evening, rating it an EF-3 on the Enhanced Fujita Scale with 136-165 m.p.h. peak winds.
---By Steve Kahn, WGN Weather Center Meteorologist
WGN-TV Chief Meteorologist Tom Skilling and the WGN Weather Center staff provide daily coverage of weather in the Chicago area.
