Chicago weather: Warmest stretch of 2026 continues with storm threat Friday

CHICAGO - A much warmer day all across the area today with highs soaring well into the 80s. Today's high of 87 ties what we had back on May 17th as the warmest day of 2026 thus far. Later tonight, humidity values will start to increase and that will help hold our temperatures in the 60s overnight. Clouds will also start to increase through the night ahead of our storm system for Friday.

Let's breakdown how Friday looks to shake out:

• Morning (5am to about 11am) — Scattered showers with some embedded thunderstorms. A few pockets of rain may be rather heavy.
• Afternoon (Noon to about 6pm) — Another round of rain and thunderstorms with a few strong storms possible after 2pm. In the worst of the storms, wind gusts near 60mph will be possible, along with hail near the size of quarters. Additionally, downpours of rain may lead to some brief high water in localized spots.
• Evening (After 6pm) — Rain and storms should be moving out of the area, but a leftover shower or two is still possible through 10pm.

Overall takeaways for Friday: It's going to be a very warm and muggy day with a good chunk of the day featuring rain. Thunderstorms will be around from time to time and there could be a couple of warnings issued. Stay alert and be prepared in case things change quickly in your area.

The latest data for Saturday suggests that we may still see a couple of spotty light rain showers, but they will be fairly isolated and not lasting too long. Otherwise, it will be another warm and muggy day. Heat index values may be near 90 degrees and air quality may become a concern for some groups.

Sunday features a cloudy sky with a little bit of sunshine at times. Still warm, still muggy for us with highs in the 80s and heat index values close to 90. Lows will be in the 60s each morning. 

Another round of rain and storms moves in for Monday and Tuesday with highs holding in the 80s both days. The humidity will remain high, so it's going to feel even warmer.

Then, as we move toward the second half of next week, it's going to get even hotter. Highs are expected to climb to near 90 degrees with overnight lows in the upper 60s. Summer does not officially start until the 21st, but we may be getting a jump on things.