Chicago forecast turns cooler, with mid-40s expected for Sunday’s Bears kickoff

Chicago’s stretch of unusually warm weather is giving way to a cooler forecast, with temperatures expected to fall through the middle of the week. The change will bring breezy conditions and, later in the week, readings below seasonal averages, according to NBC 5 Storm Team Chief Meteorologist Brant Miller.

Wednesday’s forecast calls for a high near 65 degrees, but that warmth is expected early rather than later in the day. Temperatures should remain in the 60s until about 5 or 6 a.m. before cooler air arrives. Readings will then fall into the 50s and remain in that range through Thursday, making the early-morning temperature a less useful guide for anyone dressing for a full day outside.

The transition follows a slow-moving weather system that brought periods of drizzle and light showers Tuesday. A blocking pattern delayed the system’s northward and eastward progress. More rain approached Chicago Tuesday evening, while overnight radar showed showers west of the area and some thunder to the south and west.

A drier portion of the system is expected to reach the Chicago area as the cooler air moves in. Thursday could still bring a few showers before colder air passes over Lake Michigan on Friday. Lake-effect rain is possible, though the forecast places most of that activity in northwest Indiana, with less expected along the Illinois side of the lake.

The weekend outlook includes sunshine Saturday. Rain had previously been a possibility Sunday, but the updated forecast no longer calls for it. That gives Chicago residents a clearer outlook for outdoor weekend plans, even as the temperatures take a cooler turn.

For fans attending Sunday’s Bears game at Soldier Field, the most useful number may be the evening temperature rather than the daytime high. Readings are expected to be in the mid-40s around the 7:20 p.m. kickoff, a noticeable change from the warmth Chicago has experienced in recent weeks.