Warm, Stormy Weather Won't Last Long
UPDATED: 11/22/10 9:41 a.m.
CHICAGO (CBS) - The Daley Plaza Christmas tree is ready to light, the huts for the annual Christkindlmarket festival are all up... and the temperatures are in the 60s with pouring rain and raging thunder.
Don't get used to it.
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CBS 2 Meteorologist Megan Glaros reports the high temperature for Monday is expected at 65 degrees. As of 8:15 a.m., it was 61 degrees and rain was pouring over downtown Chicago in buckets.
Thunderclaps and flashes of lightning sent startled pigeons flying en masse off their perches on the George W. Dunne Cook County Office Building, 69 W. Washington St.
But the lightning did more damage than just bothering pigeons. It also hit a home in Downers Grove.
Fire officials say the house in 4700 block of Roslyn Road in the western suburb suffered damage to the roof from the strike.
The lighting hit put a hole in the roof, but did not spark a fire. No one was hurt.
And as of 9 a.m., Commonwealth Edison reports more than 4,000 customers without power due to the storm. That includes 251 customers in the city of Chicago, 1,267 in the northern suburbs, 2,035 in the south and 532 to the west.
The Newsradio 780 Traffic Center also reported downed power lines in Stickney Monday morning and traffic signals that out in the Orland Park area.
The storm system is being caused by an approaching cold front clashing with the mild, humid air the Chicago area saw in the early morning hours. In the day's hazardous weather outlook, the National Weather Service says to expect thunderstorms with strong gusts of wind and small hail.
Thunderstorms will likely continue through the afternoon, before the cold front sweeps in overnight. When that happens, say goodbye to May, and get out that winter coat.
The overnight low for Monday night is 35 degrees. On Tuesday, the high will top out at a mere 39 degrees, but with sunny skies.
The high climbs to 42 on Wednesday. But on Thanksgiving Day, the high will start out at 39 degrees in the morning and drop through the day, hitting the freezing mark of 32 degrees by lunchtime.
Snow showers may materialize as you chow down on your turkey Thursday evening.
And on Black Friday, you might be best-advised to bring a heavy coat and blanket if you're getting up early to line up in front your local Target or Apple Store. The high on Friday is only 32 degrees, while the low is 22.
