Weird Weather Hits Chicago as Warm Thursday Shifts to Snowy Friday with Temperatures from 73 Plummeting to 39 Degrees

Chicago experiences weird weather when a warm Thursday turns into a snowy Friday afternoon, pulling temperatures from 73 to 39 degrees.

The National Weather Service predicts an unusually warm Thursday with a temperature high of 73 F in the city. Most of the day will be sunny and windy, with gusts of up to 30 mph.

However, that will quickly change on Friday as high temperatures are only predicted to reach 47 degrees, with a possible low of 39 degrees by 5 PM. Starting cloudy, the day will gradually turn partly sunny and breezy.

There may be a chance of flurries on Saturday, but no significant snowfall is predicted. Mid-October saw the arrival of the city's first snowflakes of the year, Block Club Chicago reports.

Chicago Metropolitan Area 7-Day Forecast

• According to data from the National Weather Service, this afternoon will be mostly sunny, with a temperature high near 76. It will be breezy, with a south wind of 15 to 20 mph. Wind gusts will be as high as 30 mph during this time.
• By tonight, a 20% chance of showers will loom in after midnight. It will be mostly cloudy, with a temperature low of around 46 degrees. The south wind will be at 10 to 15 mph, which will become northwest after midnight. Winds during this time could gust up to 30 mph.
• Veterans Day will be mostly cloudy, then gradually becoming mostly sunny, with a temperature plummeting to around 39 by 4 PM. There will be a prevalent northwest wind of around 15 mph, with 25 mph wind gusts.
• Friday night's skies will see increasing clouds, with a temperature low of around 31. The northwest wind will blow at 10 to 15 mph. Wind gusts during this time are expected to be as high as 25 mph.
• Saturday's forecast shows a chance of flurries. It will be mostly cloudy, with a temperature high near 40. There will be a west-northwest wind at 10 to 15 mph, with a 20 mph maximum wind gust. There is a chance of flurries before Saturday midnight. The skies will be partly cloudy, with a low of around 27 degrees.
• Sunday will be mostly sunny, with a temperature high near 38. Sunday night will be mostly cloudy, with a temperature low of around 28.
• Monday's forecast is for mostly cloudy skies and a high near 42 degrees. After midnight, the area is looking at a chance of snow. The skies will be mostly cloudy, bringing temperatures to a low of 31 degrees.
• On Tuesday, here is a chance of snow and rain in Chicago metropolitan area. Tuesday night will be mostly cloudy, with a low of around 29.
• Wednesday will be partly sunny, with a temperature high near 40.

Outdoor Activities

AccuWeather lists various outdoor activities suitable for the weather in Chicago. Although most outdoor activities can be done without a problem, stargazing might be problematic.

Stargazing is influenced by a variety of factors. The most widely known deterrent is cloud cover. The clarity of the sky, or transparency, is another factor that affects a sky-watcher's ability to observe the night sky. The stability of the atmosphere is important for stargazing as well.

Tonight, 19% cloud cover is expected, which will rise to 82% tomorrow, making stargazing or other sky-watching activities very challenging.