Chicago weather: Warmer days ahead with storms possible Thursday and Friday

CHICAGO - It’s a chilly start to the day, but we will see plenty of sun and it won’t be as windy. Highs will range from the 40s near the lake to the mid and upper 50s well west of the city. 

During the afternoon, some of that lake-cooled air will migrate westward and knock temperatures down. Tonight should be clear to partly cloudy with lows in the 40s. 

Future forecast

What's next:

Tomorrow will be warmer with some indications that we might even hit 70°. There is a chance of showers and thunderstorms late in the day and at night. 

Then we come to Friday which remains questionable regarding thunderstorm prospects. We are now outlooked as a "slight risk" area for severe thunderstorms. However, computer some models remain unconvinced about the intensity and coverage of any thunderstorm activity on Friday. This is still a day to be "weather ready." We will continue to follow the possibility for any stronger storms as we get closer to the potential event. 

What is certain is that it will be a breezy and very warm day with highs not far from 80°. The weekend will be cooler with highs mainly in the 50s with Easter featuring a good chance of showers then possibly even thunderstorms moving in at night.

Northern Lights no-show

Dig deeper:

Despite the hype, the northern lights did not appear in Chicagoland last night.  As is often the case, these "geomagnetic storm" alerts end up being underachievers.  

The aurora borealis did appear near the US-Canadian border briefly last night. I’ve seen some very nice photos from northern Minnesota and Finland for example.