Chicago temperatures turn more seasonal before a warmer start to next week

Chicago is moving from an unusually warm start to the week into more typical October temperatures, according to the NBC 5 Storm Team. After reaching 80 degrees Tuesday and setting a temperature record Monday, the area is expected to see Wednesday highs in the mid-60s before cooler weather arrives later in the week.

Wednesday should be largely dry, although an occasional shower remains possible. NBC 5 meteorologist Pete Sack described the expected daytime temperature as close to the seasonal average, making the day a transition between the early-week warmth and the wetter forecast for Thursday.

Rain is expected to approach Chicago from the south and west around 9 a.m. Thursday, becoming widespread through noon. The forecast allows for as much as an inch of rain, with thunderstorms possible later in the day, particularly in the southern suburbs. For Chicago residents arranging outdoor activities or travel, Thursday has the most sustained rain in the forecast.

Scattered showers are expected to continue Thursday evening as a cold front moves through. Friday morning should offer a drier interval, though isolated showers could return during the afternoon. The National Weather Service’s Chicago office also forecasts gusty winds from the northwest Friday as the weather system passes through the region.

By Friday evening, temperatures are expected to settle into the middle to upper 50s. Overnight cooling could bring the season’s first frost Saturday morning, with lows generally in the upper 30s. Locations farther from Lake Michigan could reach freezing, so the early-morning outlook differs from the milder conditions earlier in the week.

Saturday afternoon temperatures are forecast to remain in the 50s, but the cooler stretch is not expected to last into next week. Highs should return to the 60s Sunday and reach the 70s next week, offering a warmer outlook after the rain and chilly start to the weekend.