New Year's Eve Weather Springlike, But Volatile
UPDATED 12/31/10 6:20 p.m.
CHICAGO (CBS) -- The weather was springlike this New Year's Eve, but the skies were volatile, as rain and thunder erupted over the course of the day.
CBS 2's Don Schwenneker says the rest of the evening should be reasonably dry until around midnight, save for a sprinkle early in the evening. A tornado watch was in effect for a while for Kankakee County, but was allowed to expire early.
In Chicago, the worst of the weather was heavy rain and some rare wintertime thunderclaps. But there have still been hazards. A dense fog advisory is in effect for DeKalb County, and
A flood advisory is in effect for several area rivers, including Thorn Creek in the southern suburbs. The rare wintertime thunderclaps you might have heard overnight were accompanied by heavy rain that doused the area with 3/4 to 1 inch of precipitation.
The rainfall, combined with the melting of the snow, means rising water levels in Thorn Creek. The creek was expected to rise to near 9.6 feet by Saturday morning; flood stage is 10 feet.
Meanwhile, more rain is expected this evening, as you chill the champagne and wind up the noisemakers. Spotty rain is expected up until the official start of 2011 at midnight, CBS 2 Meteorologist Megan Glaros tells us.
And don't get used to the April-like conditions. While the high is expected at 55 degrees on Friday during the day and will still be a balmy 42 degrees when the clock strikes midnight, with a few showers and maybe a rumble of thunder, Glaros says.
But winter returns when you wake up New Year's morning (or afternoon.) The high for Saturday is a mere 28 degrees, and the low for Saturday night is a frigid 14. In the coming week, the temperature is expected to creep up past the freezing mark, but the highs are not expected to make it out of the 30s.
Schwennker warns that early Saturday morning when you still might be awake or going home, there may be ice on the roads.
