Monday forecast: High temps in the 40s, soaking rains move into Chicagoland this week

It’s a cloudy start to the work week in Chicagoland, and soaking rains are on their way this week.

They won’t quite get here on Monday, however, as it should remain dry for most of the day, with some breaks in the cloud cover later.

Early-morning temperatures Monday ranged in the 30s, and winds out of the southwest will push high temps later into the mid- to upper 40s, about 10 degrees warmer than Sunday’s highs.

Then, soaking rains arrive from the Great Plains overnight Monday into Tuesday. It will rain on and off pretty much all day Tuesday around Chicagoland, with some flooding possible since the ground remains partially frozen.

Here’s a timeline of Tuesday’s projected radar:

The rain will finally break on Wednesday, but cold air and light snow showers will move in on the back end of the system. Conditions will be dry by then, however, so no snow accumulation is expected.

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Current conditions

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Looking ahead

The extended outlook calls for falling temps by Wednesday afternoon, so the rain turns to some snow late in the afternoon following morning highs around 49.

It should be dry for Thursday, with high temps near seasonal averages around 40. Friday brings another shot for some rain, which could change over to some snow by early Saturday.

As March progresses in Chicagoland, normal highs increase quite a bit from the first day of the month to the last day of the month. Daylight time also increases significantly, with clocks springing forward overnight this Saturday into Sunday.