Is This Really December? Chicago Might See Five Straight Days In The 50s
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Chicago will see near record warmth this weekend, and if forecasts hold, there could be five straight days of temperatures in the 50s, which hasn't happened here in December in more than a decade.
The high in Chicago reached 52 on Wednesday, and the temperature already had reached 57 early Thursday afternoon. Forecasters expect the high to reach the mid 50s on Friday, and close to 60 on Saturday and Sunday.
If forecasts hold true, it would be the first time since 2001 that Chicago has had five consecutive days of temperatures in the 50s in December. The last time such a warm streak happened this late in Chicago was 1971, according to the National Weather Service.
Temperatures on Thursday and Saturday also could flirt with all-time records in Chicago. The warmest Dec. 10 on record in Chicago was 62 degrees in 1879. The warmest Dec. 12 on record was in 1877, when it was 61.
While temperatures in the 50s should come to an end on Monday, the start of next week will still be somewhat warmer than normal, with highs in the low to mid 40s Monday through Wednesday. Typically, the high for mid-December is about 35.
The weekend also is expected to be unusually rainy, with a chance of rain starting Friday night; showers and even occasionally heavy rain are then possible through Monday evening.
According to the National Weather Service, Chicago could get 2 inches of rain or more from Saturday to Monday, which hasn't happened in Chicago in December since 1999, and hasn't happened this late in December since 1982.
