It’s “cooler near the lake” season — but 2023’s warmest weather yet builds in next week

by: Tom Skilling, Bill Snyder, Jennifer Kohnke

Posted: Apr 6, 2023 / 10:26 PM CDT

Updated: Apr 6, 2023 / 11:17 PM CDT

It’s “cooler by the lake season” and this will be evident both Friday and Saturday where inland high temperature will be significantly milder than areas in close proximity to Lake Michigan.

Friday afternoon temperature snapshot — 50s inland but low 40s near the lake. Saturday afternoon temperature snapshot — low 60s inland but only near 50 lakeside

FULL-DAY TEMPERATURE DEPARTURES FROM NORMAL

Extended spell of above normal temperatures begins on Saturday

Daytime high temps are predicted to surge to/above 70-degrees each day next week, making it the warmest run of weather here to date in 2023. It’s even conceivable a temperature could approach 80 in the area Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday next week. The expansion of warm temps over a good swath of the country is reflected in the predicted percent of the Lower 48 which is to reach or exceed 70-degrees. 17% of the country is to do that Thursday down to 11% Friday. But warming begins for the Easter weekend with 21% of the country looking for 70s Saturday and 33% Easter Sunday. By Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday next week, those percentages will surge to 58%, 60% and 57% respectively.

The huge storm system responsible for an array of severe weather—including a blizzard in the northern Plains and severe and, in some areas, tornado and damaging wind generating t-storms from the Midwest into the Deep South. More than 300 reports of severe weather were filed with the NWS’ Storm Prediction Center—including 11 reports of tornadoes. The 2 day period included 179 reports of large hail—many of them across Iowa, Missouri, Illinois and Indiana.

**Here’s the Wednesday afternoon surface weather map showing the windy storm system which generated the recent storms.**

**Predicted SUNDAY HIGH TEMP DEPARTURES**

Wednesday opened with the warmest temps of 2023, elevated humidities and ominous skies and active t-storms which generated wind gusts as high as 79 mph in Compton in Lee County and 66 mph at Valparaiso in northwest Indiana. Skies across the area hosted eye-catching displays of wind-tossed asperitas clouds—described as dark “doomsday” appearing clouds which look like rough ocean waters. These accompanied morning t-storms amid 70-deg temps. Chicago’s 72-degree high at O’Hare has been the year’s warmest to date. Powerful non-t-storm winds have raked the area since. O’Hare has registered a 47 mph gusts and gusts at Midway have topped out at 54 mph. Check out some of the other wind gusts observed across the Greater Chicago area: