Chicago weather: Brief cooldown before stunning Mother's Day weekend

CHICAGO - Chicagoland basked in spring sunshine and temps in the low to mid-70s Tuesday, but a midweek cold front is set to bring a noticeable dip in temperatures—especially near the lake.

What we know:

Skies stay mostly clear Tuesday night with overnight lows in the low to mid-50s.

Wednesday will start off mild, but a passing cold front will lead to falling temperatures as the day wears on. Most of the region will see highs in the upper 60s and 70s before cooler air moves in.

The sharpest cooldown will be felt along the lakefront, where temperatures could fall from the 60s into the 40s by Wednesday afternoon.

Thursday will be the coolest day of the week, with highs only reaching the upper 50s to low 60s and partly cloudy skies.

What's next:

A warming trend returns Friday, with highs in the mid-60s under mostly sunny to partly cloudy skies.

The forecast is shaping up nicely for Mother's Day weekend: Expect plenty of sunshine and highs in the mid-70s on both Saturday and Sunday. The warm spell continues into Monday, when the region could flirt with 80 degrees.