It's back to reality--snow to fly by Saturday

It was great while it lasted, but Tuesday's wind-blown 60 degree warmth has vanished as
the city braces for today's heavy rain episode followed by cold and snow in time for
Valentine's Day. Tuesday's balmy highs broke the 60 mark for the first time in 2009. Midway
Airport's 62 degree maximum was the warmest ever there on a Feb. 10, eclipsing the pair of
61 degrees highs reached in 1976 and again in 1999, while the city's official
thermometer at O'Hare International Airport peaked at 61 -- just shy of the record 63 degree high
set in 1876.
Severe weather struck Oklahoma on Tuesday afternoon, producing three damaging twisters
along with highs winds and large hail. One twister did considerable damage in Edmond,
just northwest of Oklahoma City. This same storm system is going to bring heavy rain and
possible flooding to the Chicago area Wednesday as up to 2 inches of rain falls on rivers
swollen by the recent snow and ice melt.
A second storm is expected to bring accumulating snow to the city by late Friday. Early
trends indicate that 3-5 inches could be on the ground here by Valentine's Day.
--By Steve Kahn, WGN Weather Center Meteorologist