Warm, But Rainy Week Ahead For Illinois

ILLINOIS — After a weekend of mild temperatures and the first 70-degree day of 2021 on Saturday, warm temperatures will continue this week. Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday will all have temps in the 70s, before things cool slightly on Thursday and Friday, which have expected highs in the upper 60s, according to the National Weather Service forecast.

With the warmer temps comes the possibility for rain and thunderstorms. Monday, which could hit 80 degrees, has a chance of thunderstorms, mainly north of Interstate 80, according to the weather service.

No severe weather is expected with thunderstorms Monday, the weather service said. There will also be an elevated fire danger Monday afternoon, due to low humidity and gusty winds.

Tuesday will be mostly dry during the day, before a chance of storms on Tuesday night, with the highest chance northwest of I-55. Wednesday will again have a chance of storms, with increasing likeliness in the afternoon hours, according to the weather service. Storms are also likely Wednesday night.

Thursday has a high of 68 degrees, but once again there is a chance of rain. Friday will be similar to Thursday, with a high of 67, and again a chance of rain.

Not only was the first 70-degree day on Saturday, but Sunday was tied for the eighth warmest Easter on record, according to the National Weather Service. The warmest Easter was on April 10, 1977, when it was 85 degrees. The coldest low for Easter was 11 degrees on March 24, 1940. The weather service said that only 15 percent of Easter Sunday have been above 70 degrees.