Enjoy today's dry interlude -- it won't last long: The next storm system is quickly heading this way. Area rivers, swollen with runoff from heavy rains across southern metropolitan Chicago on Thursday, won't have much time to drain before a new round of thunderstorms rolls in Friday night. Rain continues through much of Saturday, but Sunday looks dry. Temperatures continue on the cool side through the weekend and persistent winds off Lake Michigan will keep it especially cool in lakeshore areas.
Looking ahead, a major weather pattern shift is in the works and it signals summery warmth -- finally -- but its effects won't arrive here until the middle of next week. Temperatures well into the 80s are likely by next Wednesday, accompanied, unfortunately, by humidity that also carries an ongoing threat of thunderstorms.
Thursday's deluge
Thursday's rain was a study in contrasts. Little or no rain fell across the north half of the metropolitan area (only 0.01 inch at O'Hare, for example) and residents there probably wondered what the fuss was about, but torrents of rain struck southern sections and northwest Indiana. Kankakee County in Illinois and Lake and Porter Counties in Indiana were especially hard hit by flash flooding. The rain finally ended late Thursday afternoon.
Looking ahead, a major weather pattern shift is in the works and it signals summery warmth -- finally -- but its effects won't arrive here until the middle of next week. Temperatures well into the 80s are likely by next Wednesday, accompanied, unfortunately, by humidity that also carries an ongoing threat of thunderstorms.
Thursday's deluge
Thursday's rain was a study in contrasts. Little or no rain fell across the north half of the metropolitan area (only 0.01 inch at O'Hare, for example) and residents there probably wondered what the fuss was about, but torrents of rain struck southern sections and northwest Indiana. Kankakee County in Illinois and Lake and Porter Counties in Indiana were especially hard hit by flash flooding. The rain finally ended late Thursday afternoon.
