Illinois Weather 3/8 Morning - Flood Warning

Good morning. Illinois. I'm Aaron Jolly. If you stepped outside early, you felt that damp chill hanging around from yesterday's rain. But. Those clouds are already breaking apart. And sunshine takes over by mid-morning. Today's warming trend is impressive. Chicago climbs to 61 degrees. Central Illinois hits 65 under full sunshine. Northern areas reach 61. Southwest winds gust to 30 miles an hour in Chicago and the north — hold onto your hats. Tonight stays mild, settling near 45 to 47 degrees statewide. Monday cranks up the heat even more. Chicago hits 68. Central Illinois pushes to 74. Northern areas reach 69. That's well above normal for early March. Sunshine dominates. And those southwest winds keep gusting to 25 miles an hour. Tuesday is where things get serious. We're flirting with record territory — Chicago could hit 60, but central Illinois pushes toward 79 degrees. The catch? Severe thunderstorms develop Tuesday afternoon into evening. The National Weather Service is highlighting an Enhanced Risk north of Springfield. All severe hazards are on the table — damaging winds, large hail. And tornadoes possible. Heavy rain likely too, with totals reaching one to two inches in spots. Behind that system. Wednesday turns stormy and much cooler. Showers and thunderstorms continue, with rain possibly mixing with snow by evening as temperatures crash. Chicago tops out near 49. Central Illinois hits 63. Northern areas reach 45. Lows Wednesday night plunge to the upper 20s. Thursday through the weekend brings quieter weather with highs in the 40s to low 50s. Another system may bring rain or snow chances next weekend. Keep an eye on Tuesday's forecast updates. This could get active. See you this afternoon.