While temperatures are expected in the low 50s Thursday, National Weather Service officials cautioned a storm system on the horizon could possibly create localized ice jam flooding on rivers.
Current conditions at O’Hare International Airport Wednesday morning are mostly cloudy at 36 degrees. Farther south at Midway Airport, conditions are similar at 42 degrees.
Wednesday highs were expected in the low 40s shifting to the lows 50s Thursday when there is a 20 percent chance of rain showers after 3 p.m., officials said. Cloud cover was expected to increase Thursday with wind gusts as high as 25 mph in the Chicago area. Thursday night, there is a 70 percent chance of rain mainly after midnight with temperatures dipping from the low 50s to the mid 30s, officials said.
Friday into the weekend there is a danger of ice jam flooding as significant ice coverage exists on rivers in the Chicagoland area. Officials said the unseasonably mild temperatures will melt and break up the ice remaining on the rivers and possibly cause flooding. How much rainfall the storm system would bring to the area was unknown Wednesday morning but officials said some areas could see totals of a half inch to one inch of rain.
National Weather Service officials will be tracking the strength of the storm system over the next few days.
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