Wednesday forecast: Summer continues comeback in Chicagoland, clouds diminish later

Summer continues its late-season comeback in Chicagoland on Wednesday.

After recent days started with temps in the upper 30s to lower 40s in some inland locations, Wednesday dawned much warmer, with temps in the 50s at sunrise.

Afternoon highs are expected to warm all the way into the lower 80s inland, cracking the 80-degree mark for only the second time in the past 18 days and the first time since Sept. 2.

Southeasterly winds, however, will keep highs in the mid- to upper 70s along Lake Michigan.

Some morning sprinkles are possible, then clouds will decrease later Wednesday, with dry conditions continuing.

Thursday looks to bring similar temps under mostly sunny skies, then things warm up even more for the upcoming weekend (see more below).

Sunburn forecast

Wednesday U.S. highs

Late=season heat continues to expand.

Wednesday highs will include 59 million U.S. residents at or above 90 degrees, a trend likely to grow more in the coming days.  

Summer is back, and it’s here to stay for a while!

Chicago forecast highs & departure from normal

A string of 80-degree days begins on Wednesday, and it’s expected to last through the weekend and possibly into early next week.

Humidity (dew point) forecast

With the return of warmer temperatures comes an uptick in humidity, especially Friday, Saturday and Sunday. These levels won’t be anything close to some of the humid days earlier this summer, but it will certainly be noticeably more muggy, lending the air a warmer feel.

ECMWF 500-mb upper-level height anomaly

There’s a definite warming trend in the central U.S. and into Canada — especially in the western provinces. The troughs on either side of the blocks will filter cooler air from Canada southward into the Carolinas and Southeast and also keep it very dry.

Forecast average daily temperature anomaly: Sept. 9-15

There’s notable warming across the Plains and Midwest, while cooler-than-normal conditions linger a bit longer up and down the Eastern seaboard.

Forecast average daily temperature anomaly: Sept. 16-22

Much of the Lower 48 will average above normal temps overall during this period, except for portions of the Western Plains, where readings are likely to be near or slightly below normal. The greatest temperature surpluses are currently forecast to occur across the Great Lakes and southern Midwest. 

Forecast total rainfall through Tuesday, Sept. 16

A fairly quiet overall pattern shows across the country for the next week, with a couple of exceptions. Locally heavy rainfall is possible across southern Florida, and a few thunderstorms may bring local downpours to portions of the Northern and Great Plains. 

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