The mild, moist air mass that has been in place over the Chicago area produced widespread rains in the half-inch to 11/2-inch range as a cold front from the west triggered showers and thunderstorms the past 24 to 36 hours.
With the frontal boundary passing through from the west Friday morning, gusty northwest winds along the leading edge of cool Canadian-source high pressure will bring much cooler, drier air and lower temperatures during the afternoon. The Cubs and Giants will open their series with temperatures in the 50s, so bring jackets. The high pressure will shift east with warmer readings back into the 70s early next week.
Northward Hurricane Matthew is forecast to hug the Florida, Georgia and South Carolina coastline with battering 100 mph-plus winds in addition to 5- to 10-inch rainfall and storm surges of 5-10 feet causing widespread flooding of beaches and inland waterways. The storm is predicted to curve out to sea off the South Carolina coast later this weekend.
