Warm temperatures, rain on the way in the Chicago forecast this week

The Chicago area will have one more day of chilly temperatures before a warming trend, accompanied by multiple rounds of rain, begins.

That warming trend will see temperatures once again soar into the 60s, but it will also feature multiple opportunities for rain as March gets underway in earnest this week, according to the NBC 5 Storm Team.

Sunday will not be part of that trend, with scattered snow flurries possible and slowly shifting winds during the day. Clouds will also continue to build into the afternoon, with highs remaining on the chilly side, with readings in the low-30s across the area.

The work week will get started with some sunshine on Monday, but clouds are expected to build into the area, keeping things on the gloomy side throughout the day. Highs will rise into the low-40s, closer to their seasonal averages.

Late Monday and into Tuesday, scattered showers are expected to develop, and even if parts of the Chicago area remain dry they will likely miss out on the year’s only total lunar eclipse, as that will occur early Tuesday morning in the skies over the Chicago area.

Plenty of rain is expected as showers become more widespread on Tuesday, with highs still remaining in the low-40s, according to forecast models.

Those showers and storms are expected to begin pushing south of Interstate 80 by Wednesday morning, and temperatures are expected to be warmer under partly-to-mostly cloudy skies, with highs in the low-to-mid 50s.

Thursday will likely see more rain, but temperatures will continue their ascent, as highs rise into the mid-to-upper 50s.

Even warmer readings are expected on Friday, with highs soaring into the upper-60s or even the low-70s across the area, but once again showers and thunderstorms are anticipated in the area as meteorological spring continues to live up to its billing.

Next weekend however does contain some good news, as highs are expected in the low-60s on both Saturday and Sunday with slowly clearing skies, giving Chicagoans a break from the rainy conditions.

Stay tuned to the NBC 5 Storm Team for all the latest details on the forecast, and download the NBC Chicago app for real-time weather alerts sent directly to your phone.