WGN-TV Chief Meteorologist Tom Skilling and the WGN Weather Center staff provide daily coverage of weather in the Chicago area.

Rain, humidity arrive, and mild temperatures remain in Chicago

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It's been a long time coming, but rain moved into northeast Illinois, southern Wisconsin and northwest Indiana Sunday afternoon, ending a dry period that started in late August. Rainfall totals by Sunday evening ranged from a quarter to a half inch over the metro area. Earlier on Sunday, heavy rains downstate caused flooding of creeks, streams and susceptible roadways. There were numerous reports of one and two inch rainfall, and several locations in central Illinois received well over three inches. Jacksonville, just west of Springfield, recorded 4.76 inches. More flooding and 3-inch-plus rains occurred along the Ohio River in northern Kentucky and southern Indiana. All this rain was actually the northern edge of the record rainfalls that have been occurring across the Gulf Coast states as well as Missouri, Arkansas and Tennessee.

Cloudiness and showers to dominate forecast into next weekend
A strong low pressure system to the lee of Rockies over the Central Plains is forecast to remain essentially stationary much of the week ahead, finally ejecting to the northeast next weekend. This will mean an almost continuous flow of warm, moist air north up the Mississippi Valley, occasionally reaching northern Illinois and resulting in extensive cloudiness and periods of showers/thunderstorms, rather high humidity, and mild temperatures for the Chicago area.