Chicago weather: Record warmth gives way to gusty cold front, snow on tap?

CHICAGO - Big changes are on the way!

What we know:

We tied a record high temperature at midnight when it was 60°. That record dates back to January 9 of 1880 and is one of the oldest records on the books.

Now, a strong cold front is plowing through our area with powerful winds gusting at times to more than 40 mph. Temperatures behind the front will fall but will remain well above normal throughout the day. There is a chance for a few light rain showers this morning as the front comes through. Afternoon temperatures will be in the 40s at a time of year when freezing is normal. Tonight will be mostly cloudy with diminishing winds and lows around freezing.

Besides a record high today, Chicago also set a daily record for precipitation (rain and/or melted snow) yesterday.

At O’Hare, 1.92" of rain fell which is the most ever on that date. I also checked with the weather service to confirm that it also ranks as the third "wettest" day for the entire month of January. Only January 12, 1960 (2.76") and January 10, 1975 (2.29") were wetter.

A flood advisory is set to remain in effect until 8:30 for much of Cook, DuPage and northern Will counties.

What's next:

Tomorrow winter returns, though not too harsh. Temperatures will only rise a few degrees and there will be some rain and snow mixed early on. The trend will be for snow to become the dominant precipitation type later in the morning. Accumulations if any will be minimal.

Tomorrow night for the Bears game, temperatures will be falling through the 20s and there is a chance for a brief snow shower at some point.  It’s far from realistic to call the game a snow bowl.

Sunday will feature a mix of clouds and sun with highs around freezing. Monday and Tuesday will be partly to mostly cloudy with highs both days in the low to mid 40s.

The next system arrives Tuesday night and Wednesday starting as rain and ending as some light snow.