After days of whirlwind weather, Chicagoans can expect to see conditions mellow out this week — but April showers aren’t over quite yet.
The first round of rain will hit the city Tuesday afternoon, with a line of showers and thunderstorms passing through primarily before 5 p.m., according to the National Weather Service. By the evening, conditions should dry out, said David King, a meteorologist with the weather service in Chicago.
The next chance of storms is Thursday night, King said. Forecasts call for the rain to stretch through Friday, with thunderstorms possible in the afternoon.
The showers come after intense storms swept through the state last week, bringing record-breaking rainfall, large hail and more than a dozen tornadoes. They also come as water levels in area rivers continue to rise in the wake of the severe weather.
How upcoming rain will affect river waters is something weather officials are keeping an eye on, King said. Area rivers are all on a very gradual, downward trend but many will still be at the flood stage when Thursday’s system rolls through, according to King, who added that the rain will likely slow, if not halt those receding levels. The question is, he continued, whether the new system will result in any rise to waters.
As for temperatures, the high Wednesday will reach the upper 50s, followed by a high of 79 Thursday before storms set in. The system will bring a cold front, with temperatures into the weekend dipping back down to the 50s.
