The mercury reached the 40-degree mark Friday in Chicago, signaling the beginning
of the end of this week’s temperature set-back. Under abundant sunshine, tempera-
ture readings will surge to nearly 50 degrees Saturday, though areas near the lake
will still feel the chilling effects of a light onshore air flow. Warmth will return to the
area in earnest by Tuesday as southerly winds eliminate lake-shore cooling, boost-
ing temperatures throughout the area well into the 60s. The warmth will be fleeting,
however, as the passage of a cold front Wednesday signals a return of northerly
winds that will send temperatures crashing into the 30s for the rest of the week.
Ice and snow blast areas south of the Ohio River
Spring weather was definitely on the back-burner Friday in portions of the Mid-
South. The storm that brought copious rainfall to areas from Texas to Georgia
brought ice and snow to portions of Kentucky and Tennessee.
Lufkin, Texas, was soaked by 1.35 inches of rain while Jackson, Miss., received 1.63
inches. Further north, freezing rain brought widespread power outages to por-
tions of central Tennessee, and nearly 4 inches of snow fell near Jackson, Ky.
--By Steve Kahn, WGN Weather Center Meteorologist
