Area rivers and streams, most swollen to overflowing after the
relentless rains of recent days, now have the opportunity to drain. A
welcome pattern of dry weather has settled across Chicago and northern
Illinois, and computer models suggest the dry interlude will extend
through the weekend.
The trade-off, though, is very cold temperatures for this time of year.
On average, on only one day in 88 does the city's temperature fail to
rise to 30 degrees during the afternoon in the March 10-15 period, and
today's expected high is pegged in the upper 20s. That's about 17
degrees below the day's normal high of 44 degrees, But the March sun is
powerful and cold air covering the area will moderate steadily.
Deluge moves south
While the Midwest sits cold and dry in air of Canadian origin, the
southern periphery of the air mass has stalled along the Gulf Coast.
It's a turbulent transition zone between chilly air to the north and
tropical air to the south -- and the focus for at least a few days of welcome
rain throughout the drought-ravaged South.
