Warmer temperatures are on the way as the Chicago area moves into its
first full weekend of spring. Days have lengthened more than three hours
since December and the energy delivered by the sun's rays is nearly
three times as strong. Add to these factors the southerly winds
predicted to sever Chicago's link to the cold air over Canada's
snowpack, and the day's predicted 16-degree temperature increase appears
a good bet.
The meteorological wild card for lakeside areas revolves around the cool
lake breezes that threaten to temper warming there. Large-scale winds
must blow from the land out over the lake at velocities of at least 10
m.p.h. to keep the chilly layer of air hovering above the 38-degree lake
surface from moving inland.
Saturday's southerly winds appear just strong enough to keep the lake
air from penetrating inland as deeply as it has in recent days, but they
may not be strong enough to completely overcome cool air sweeping
shoreline areas. That suggests Saturday's peak temperatures are likely
to vary from 60 degrees at the mildest inland locations to the 40s with
the arrival of afternoon lake breezes on (and near) the shoreline.
Storm threatening tough week in Plains -- from snow
to twisters -- and big warm-up here
Jet stream winds are buckling and expected to generate a huge,
storm-generating trough aloft. The southwest upper steering winds that
result are to pump temperatures to 70 degrees here Monday and Tuesday.
But the system could bury the western Plains under snow while unleashing
a tornado and a severe storm outbreak from Texas and Louisiana north to
Nebraska and Missouri.
--Tom Skilling, Chief Meteorologist, WGN-TV/Chicago Tribune
WGN-TV Chief Meteorologist Tom Skilling and the WGN Weather Center staff provide daily coverage of weather in the Chicago area.
