Month's wettest storm to hit with up to 2 inches of wind-driven rain

Wind-driven rain and a sharp temperature pullback ride into town Thursday and Thursday night with the month's wettest storm to date--a system likely to linger through Friday and Saturday. Initially patchy light rain is to build steadily in coverage and intensity Thursday as will winds, which are predicted to shift northeast off Lake Michigan shortly after daybreak. The strengthening northeast flow will take a mighty toll on temperatures, which managed the month's first 70-degree readings over much of the metro area Wednesday. Though Thursday opens comparatively mild, intensifying rainfall from a lowering and thickening cloud base and surging winds expected to reach 25 m.p.h. late in the day and 35 m.p.h. at times Thursday night should lop 10 to 20-degrees off the warm levels observed Wednesday. Readings are predicted to tumble to the low 50s by Thursday evening's rush hour where they are to linger into Friday. October's generous rain tally to date (2.23 inches going into this storm)--already above normal--is likely to surge by as much as 2 inches in the downpours predicted to fall most heavily between mid and late Thursday afternoon and early Friday afternoon. The incoming storm has incorporated moisture from the remnants of once powerful Hurricane Rick with eastern Pacific origins.

Temperatures Wednesday reached 70-degrees at Midway and the lakefront and 69-degrees at O'Hare. Other area readings included 73-degrees at Aurora and Joliet, 72-degrees at Gary and Marseilles and 71-degrees at Romeoville, Burr Ridge, Wheaton, West Chicago and Plainfield.

Snowfall in south Colorado's high country tops a foot and a half, Minnesota close to 3 inches

The incoming storm produced 17 inches of snow in south-central Colorado Wednesday while up to 3 inches whitened Minnesota's Arrowhead region north of Duluth.