Sunday almanac: The weekend closes with sun, warmth and comfort

Note: This article is an almanac of Sunday’s weather. We have published a new forecast story for Monday.

After a stretch of steamy summer days, Sunday brought a much-needed break from the humidity across Chicagoland.

A ridge of high pressure moved in, bringing mostly sunny skies and seasonably warm temperatures in the low to mid-80s.

But the real relief? Dewpoints, which were in the muggy 70s both Friday and Saturday, dropped to the high 50s by Sunday afternoon lending a far more comfortable feel to the air.

The latest air samples showed that grass and mold pollen was high, while tree and weed pollen were on the low end. So, if you found yourself sniffling and sneezing this weekend, that could have been the reason.

Temps look to hover in the mid- to upper 80s, possibly breaking 90, around Chicagoland heading into about the middle of next week.

Looking Ahead

The extended outlook calls for a return to some heat and humidity on Monday with highs near 90, with heat index temps 95-100 for many.

Tuesday also looks hot and humid with highs near 90 and showers/t’storms likely back in the afternoon and evening. We stay in the mid to upper 80s for Wednesday, but cooler to end the week with high temps near 80. 

Forecast Highs – How Far From Normal?

A brief return to heat and increased humidity early next week as highs surge back into 90-degree territory Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday before a cool front brings another round of delightful summer air.

Highs Across the U.S. For Next 8 Days

Near seasonable warmth continues for the Chicagoland area into the middle of next week before an impressive dump of cooler Canadian air.  

Temperature Anomaly Forecast

Notable surge of cool air showing up late next week and weekend as a very intense trough in the Canadian polar region will be dragged southward into the northern Rockies and Great Lakes. 

Tracking Weather Systems Across the U.S. – Next 8 Days

Next chance for scattered thunderstorms across the Chicago area arrives late Tuesday and continuing at times through Thursday ahead of cooler, Canadian air behind a fairly strong summer cold front.