The Chicagoland area will have a warm Friday before evening thunderstorms — potentially severe — make way for a chilly Saturday.
Temperatures will reach into the low 80s Friday, and winds will become increasingly breezy throughout the day, said Kevin Donofrio, a science and operations officer for the National Weather Service.
Donofrio added that average highs in mid-April usually hang around 60 degrees, so Friday is particularly warm.
“We’ve been in this kind of hot, humid and stormy pattern here,” Donofrio said.
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But thunderstorms beginning around 8 p.m. will drop Saturday’s high into the low 50s, Donofrio said. The thunderstorms may give 1 to 2 inches of rain, and the areas receiving the highest amounts of rain will likely be those north and west of Chicago.
Friday night’s rains may exacerbate conditions in local rivers at risk of flooding, Donofrio said. Other rain showers have already caused water levels to rise during Chicago’s second-wettest spring on record.
Donofrio added that damaging winds and spin-up tornadoes are also possible due to the thunderstorms.
“Have a plan in place if a warning is issued for your area,” Donofrio said.
