Springfield, IL — A calm, starry sky stretches over Chicago this morning — the kind that hides the next weather shift quietly building west. After a mild and bright weekend, the Windy City faces a rainy start to the new week, just as Thanksgiving travel ramps up across Illinois and the Midwest.
Temperatures today climb comfortably into the lower 50s under mostly sunny skies, offering a great window for last-minute yard work or early holiday errands. Light winds and dry roads make for ideal travel conditions through Sunday. But changes arrive quickly as clouds build late Sunday, and rain moves in by Monday afternoon.
The National Weather Service Chicago warns of a 90% chance of steady rain Monday night, tapering into Tuesday morning. While no severe weather is expected, wet roads and low visibility could slow commuters along I-90, I-94, and I-55. Behind the front, cooler northwest winds signal a winter preview — highs drop into the 40s midweek with frost possible by Thursday morning.
Nationally, forecasters are tracking a major cold front stretching from the Rockies to the East Coast by Thanksgiving Day, bringing heavy snow and travel impacts across the northern U.S.
Five-Day Outlook (Chicago, IL):
- Today: Mostly sunny, high 51°F.
- Sunday: Sunny, high 53°F.
- Monday: Rain likely, high 53°F.
- Tuesday: Rain early, high 56°F.
- Wednesday: Mostly sunny, high 47°F.
