Chilly start gives way to plenty of sunshine across the Chicago area this weekend

On Saturday morning, many communities across the region were seeing temperatures in the low to mid-20s when factoring in the wind, making for an awfully cold start.

The Details

• By Matt Stefanski and Claudia Olech
• Published 5 minutes ago
• Updated 26 seconds ago

Despite the cool temperatures, plenty of sunshine is expected Saturday, while lingering lake-effect showers, mainly in Lake and Porter counties, move east of the Chicago area this afternoon.

The morning gave the Chicago region a taste of winter, with temperatures in the 30s making it one of the coldest days we’ve seen so far. NBC 5 Storm Team Meteorologist Claudia Olech said winds out of the north-northwest made it feel even colder, with wind chills dipping into the upper teens in some spots.

Stream NBC 5 for free, 24/7, wherever you are.

WATCH HERE

Many communities across the region were seeing temperatures in the low to mid-20s when factoring in the wind, making for an awfully cold start.

Luckily, much of the lake-effect activity is shifting farther east and away from the area.

After that, plenty of sunshine settles in, with highs reaching the mid-to-upper 40s.

You’ll need the sunglasses as sunshine prevails and winds begin to die down through Sunday. Highs are expected to reach around 50 degrees then.

Continued sunshine is expected as a large area of high pressure takes control, and that pattern will stick around as we head into the workweek. A few passing clouds can’t be ruled out.

Federal Aviation Administration

Passengers face hours of uncertainty at O'Hare during nationwide ground stop Federal Aviation Administration Flight affected by the nationwide ground stop? Here are rebooking and refund options Monday afternoon looks clear, Olech said, while a few clouds could move in Tuesday. Wednesday looks a little cloudier and could bring a chance for showers.

Additional showers are possible Thursday, though chances remain low.

A few raindrops are possible here and there, but chances remain on the lower end, so expect mainly dry conditions overall. And if you’re not quite ready for these winterlike temperatures, a warmup is on the way.

Temperature-wise, highs climb back into the mid-to-upper 50s by Wednesday. Say hello to the 60s by Thursday, which are expected to stick around into the weekend.