Cold Spell Through Saturday, But Mild Weather Returning Christmas Week
(CBS) -- Chicago is in for a bit of a cold spell the next few days, before unseasonably mild weather returns next week, and we're more likely to see a wet Christmas than a white Christmas.
Most of December, temperatures have been well above average, with four days when temperatures reached 60 degrees or better, three more days of at least 55 degrees, and five more days of 45 degrees or warmer. The normal high temperature for the first two weeks of December ranges from 35 to 40 degrees, according to the National Weather Service.
When the temperature dropped to a low of 30 degrees early Thursday morning at O'Hare, it was the first time temperatures have been that cold in Chicago since Dec. 5. Thursday's high was expected to be only about 35, and Friday will be even colder, with a high around 29.
Saturday will get to only about 32, before Sunday brings a return to milder conditions, with a high of around 47.
By the middle of next week, temperatures could be in the 50s again, and forecast models show it likely will get to the low 50s on Christmas Day, with a chance for rain most of the day.