Thursday offered chilliest morning lows in 138 days 

It was another chilly start to the day, including an official low of 45 degrees, making Thursday the coolest morning since May 24, when the mercury dipped to 44 degrees. 

Patchy frost was visible in some of the suburbs where readings dropped down into the 30s at several locations. 

Afternoon highs rebounded to the middle 60s, very close to typical seasonal norms, and equivalent to what we saw on Wednesday under the day’s bright sunshine.

Peak wind gusts during the afternoon were in the 20-25 mph range.  

Thursday U.S. highs and departure from normal 

Noticeably warmer air was present across the Plains where highs were some 10-15 degrees above normal. A frontal passage and reinforcing high pressure from Canada will prevent that warmth from moving east into the Chicago area over the next few days. 

Update meteorological autumn precipitation  

Despite soaking rains earlier this week, rainfall tallies continue below normal since September 1^st.     

Drought update from the USDA

The area of moderate drought expanded from 73% to 86%. The area of severe drought expanded 28% to 43%   

Extreme drought impacts portions of the state for the first time, in central Illinois.