Chicago wakes up to mostly clear skies and a mild 68°F, but the National Weather Service says today turns stormy fast, with a high near 81°F sliding back to around 77°F as showers and thunderstorms move in after noon. If you’ve got outdoor plans on the South Side, the lakefront, or anywhere in between, get them done before midday.
Today’s Setup
The NWS Chicago/Romeoville office flags two separate storm windows today: one from around midday through the afternoon, tied to convection currently rolling in from Iowa, and a second from late afternoon into tonight. Winds stay light out of the south-southeast at 5 to 10 mph with gusts to 20 mph, and both rounds carry a 70% chance of rain with the potential to turn severe.
Best Window To Be Outside
Morning is your window. Skies are calm and mostly clear right now, so an early tee time or a walk through Lincoln Park before 11 AM CT beats the rush. If you’re heading to the course, this is a good day to break in a set of Pinemeadow Golf wedges before the radar fills in.
Rain, Wind, Or Flood Risk
This is the bigger story. The Weather Prediction Center has a slight risk of excessive rainfall over the Upper Midwest today, and its discussion specifically calls out the Chicagoland area for a second round of storms tonight that could stall out rather than move through — a setup that raises real flash flood concern. Sunday night’s forecast calls for another 70% chance of storms with 1 to 2 inches of rain possible on top of what falls earlier. If you’re near the White Sox game against the Cleveland Guardians at Rate Field this afternoon or catching Kehlani at Huntington Bank Pavilion at Northerly Island tonight, keep an eye on the sky and have an indoor plan ready. Avoid driving through flooded underpasses if storms train over the same neighborhoods tonight.
What To Wear Or Bring
Pack a rain shell, not just an umbrella, given the gusty wind. Humid, muggy air also means mosquitoes are active — mosquito repellent spray is worth tossing in your bag for any evening plans. Sox fans should grab Official team gear on Fanatics before first pitch, and tickets are still available via Find tickets on StubHub. Heading to see J. Cole: The Fall-Off Tour at the United Center Tuesday? Grab tickets on SeatGeek and a J. Cole t-shirt now before the midweek storm chances (see below) complicate travel.
Helpful Links
Check out outdoor gear deals to prep for the wet stretch, and if you want dinner sorted before the second storm wave, our guide on how to smoke tri-tip like brisket is a great low-and-slow option for a covered grill or smoker. Otherwise, get burgers or grilled chicken with corn on the cob on the grill during that clear morning window — an instant-read meat thermometer and a grill brush and scraper set make quick work of it. Need ingredients? You can order groceries on Amazon and have everything for tonight’s dinner delivered to your door.
Next Few Days
Monday brings a 40% chance of showers and storms with a high near 79°F, and the NWS warns storms could turn severe again Monday afternoon into Monday night. Expect this unsettled, muggy pattern to linger through midweek — check back before finalizing weekend plans.
