Record warmth and dangerous thunderstorms in Chicago forecast in coming days

The Chicago area is going to get the full spring experience of weather in coming days, with record warmth and strong-to-severe thunderstorms possible.

The severe weather threat won’t arrive until Tuesday, giving area residents plenty of time to enjoy the sunshine and warmth welcoming in the start of daylight saving time this week.

Sunday will start out on the chilly side, with low temperatures just above the freezing mark, but temperatures are expected to warm quickly thanks to brisk southwesterly winds, with high temperatures soaring into the low-to-mid 60s across the area, according to the NBC 5 Storm Team.

The clouds will continue to stay away on Monday, and temperatures are expected to be even warmer, with highs rising into the low-to-mid 70s across the area.

If the mercury cracks 70 degrees at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport, it would set a new record for the date, with the previous record of 69 degrees set in 1974 and again in 2021.

The record for Tuesday is currently 70 degrees, set in 1955, and the Chicago area could again threaten that mark, but the record warmth will come at a significant price.

According to the Storm Prediction Center, areas south of Interstate 80 in the Chicago area, including LaSalle, Kendall, Grundy, Will and Kankakee counties in Illinois, as well as Jasper and Newton counties in Indiana, are at an “enhanced” risk of severe weather on Tuesday night. The “enhanced” level is the third of five levels of severe weather risk the SPC uses, meaning the region could see some significant thunderstorms as a powerful front sweeps through the area.

The rest of the Chicago area is currently at a “slight” risk of severe weather, the second of those five levels.

All manner of severe weather threats could be in the forecast, including powerful wind gusts, large hail and even tornadoes, though forecast models will continue to dial in as the date approaches.

After the storm system sweeps through the area, things are going to get a lot chillier in the area beginning Wednesday, with highs retreating into the 40s. There’s even a chance of some snow mixed in with the remaining showers in the region, and things won’t get much warmer as another cold front could arrive in the area by next weekend.

Stay tuned to the NBC 5 Storm Team for the latest updates on Tuesday’s forecast, and be sure to download the NBC Chicago app for real-time weather alerts sent directly to your phone.