Sunny Skies Thanks to Passing High Pressure System, But High Pressure Exit Opens Door for Snow Storm Pattern

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Weather forecast for Thursday, January 4, 2024. YouTube Tips ⓘ

No impactful or hazardous weather is expected in the short term period through Friday.

The forecast overnight from NWS Chicago was indicating that there was low confidence in the forecast for cloud cover. NWS Chicago at 2:58 a.m. indicated regional satellite imagery showed a large chunk of real estate covered by this persistent stratus deck
(basically all of the upper Midwest into the Great Lakes), and that the forecast guidance “did not appear to have much of a handle on the extent of this cloud cover whatsoever.”

Fortunately we ended up having a beautiful sunny, January day.

According to NWS, Chicago, regional satellite imagery (and a peek out the window) shows a much- needed partly cloudy to mostly sunny early January day, thanks to the passage of a southeastward-moving surface high pressure system. Temperatures have responded nicely to sunshine with current readings in the mid to upper 30s.




Thursday night, the surface high will continue drifting southeast as a short-wavelength upper-level ridge builds into the Great Lakes. Upper-level clouds will spill over the region ahead of a digging trough in the southern Mississippi River Valley, and help keep overnight lows in the mid to upper 20s.

What appeared to be a low threat for freezing drizzle overnight thankfully appears to have gone away completely thanks to the sunshine this afternoon, which allowed for the development of a dry near-surface layer and less low cloud cover.




Enjoy, the nice weather Thursday and Friday, because weather conditions will deteriorate Saturday and Sunday, and an impactful storm system will likely hit somewhere in our region with accumulating wet snow and strong winds late Monday night through Tuesday night.

The exit of a High Pressure System that has been protecting our region with warm weather will allow a series of Low Pressure systems from the southwest to strike our area with heavy wet, snow, and even possibly blizzard conditions.

Weather Radar in northeast Illinois was clear.

See also Arlingtoncardinal.com/clouds

 O’HARE FORECAST … 

Thursday Afternoon: Mostly sunny, with a high near 35-36. Calm wind.

Thursday night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 27. Calm wind becoming south southwest around 5 mph in the evening. Winds could gust as high as 10 mph.

Friday: Partly sunny, with a high near 36. South southwest wind around 5 mph, with gusts as high as 10 mph.

Friday Night: A 40 percent chance of snow, mainly after 3am. Cloudy, with a low around 31. Southeast wind around 5 mph.

Saturday: Snow likely before noon, then a chance of snow showers after noon. Cloudy, with a high near 35. Southeast wind around 5 mph becoming calm. Chance of precipitation is 70%.

Saturday Night: Snow showers likely, mainly before midnight. Cloudy, with a low around 30. Chance of precipitation is 60%.

Sunday: A 20 percent chance of snow showers before noon. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 38.

Sunday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 27.

Monday: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 38.

Monday Night: Snow likely, mainly after midnight. Cloudy, with a low around 32.

Tuesday: Snow, possibly mixed with rain. Cloudy, with a high near 36. Breezy.

Tuesday Night: Snow likely. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 27. Blustery.

Wednesday: Partly sunny, with a high near 32. Breezy.

 LAKE TEMPS … 

SOUTHERN LAKE MICHIGAN WATER TEMPERATURES
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHICAGO/ROMEOVILLE IL
901 AM CST Thu Jan 4 2024

LAKE MICHIGAN WATER TEMPERATURES…

CHICAGO SHORE………..39.

CHICAGO CRIB…………39.

MICHIGAN CITY………..39.

SOUTH MID LAKE BUOY…..43.

&&

M IS FOR MISSING DATA THAT IS NORMALLY AVAILABLE.

THE MICHIGAN CITY WATER TEMPERATURE SENSOR IS LOCATED AT A WATER INTAKE ONE MILE OFFSHORE AND 60 FEET BELOW THE WATER SURFACE. IT IS READ EVERY DAY OF THE YEAR.

january.chicagoweatherstation.com

Arlingtoncardinal.com/radar

Chicago Weather Forecast for your MAC/PC/TABLET includes surrounding suburbs.

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20240105-1435future

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Chicago/Romeoville, IL
243 PM CST Thu Jan 4 2024

.SHORT TERM… Issued at 1241 PM CST Thu Jan 4 2024

Through Friday…

Key Messages:

* No impactful weather is expected in the short term period.

Discussion:

Regional satellite imagery (and a peek out the window) shows a much- needed partly cloudy to mostly sunny early January day, thanks to the passage of a southeastward-moving surface high pressure system. Temperatures have responded nicely to sunshine with current readings in the mid to upper 30s.

Tonight, the surface high will continue drifting southeast as a short-wavelength upper-level ridge builds into the Great Lakes. Upper-level clouds will spill over the region ahead of a digging trough in the southern Mississippi River Valley, and help kee Povernight lows in the mid to upper 20s. What appeared to be a low threat for freezing drizzle overnight thankfully appears to have gone away completely thanks to the sunshine this afternoon (e.g. allowed for the development of a dry near-surface layer and less low cloud cover).

Tomorrow will be marked by thickening upper-level clouds as the aforementioned upper-level trough continues digging into the southern Mississippi River Valley. Highs will be similar to today and in the mid to upper 30s. No precipitation is expected during daylight hours (but chances will increase after dark; see the Long Term Discussion below for more information).

Borchardt

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