Illinois Weather March 4 Midday - 33° Above Normal

Good afternoon. Illinois. I'm Aaron Jolly. That gray blanket overhead isn't going anywhere soon. We're sitting at 39 degrees under overcast skies, after dipping to 32 overnight. The sun came up at 6:22, but you wouldn't know it looking out the window. In the next 24 hours., A warm front is lifting through central Illinois, creating quite a contrast. North of I-33, temperatures are stuck in the 40s with dense fog. South of that line, spots are pushing 60 degrees. Chicagoland stays cool today with a high near 45. Rain showers develop after 3 P.M. and linger into tonight. Patchy fog rolls in this evening, with lows around 40. Down in Central Illinois, you're sitting in the warm sector. Highs near 53 with showers and thunderstorms possible through the afternoon. A Flood Watch is in effect for southeast counties through Thursday morning. One to two inches of rain could fall. Tonight's low only drops to 49. Northern Illinois sees mostly cloudy skies with a high near 51. Fog develops tonight with a chance of showers after midnight. Lows around 40. Tomorrow brings more fog and drizzle before a dramatic shift. Friday. Temperatures soar into the 70s. That's about 33 degrees above normal for early March. We're talking near-record warmth, but it comes with a price. Strong storms are possible Friday night as a cold front sweeps through. The weekend looks quieter with highs in the upper 50s to low 60s and sunshine returning Sunday. Tonight's full moon will have to work hard to shine through all that cloud cover. And we're gaining nearly three minutes of daylight each day now. Spring equinox is just two weeks away. For the extended outlook, check the latest forecast as confidence improves. That's your forecast — we'll be back tomorrow.