Cloudy week looms after city’s sunny weekend

Posted: Dec 5, 2022 / 01:42 AM CST

Updated: Dec 5, 2022 / 01:42 AM CST

Clouds return to blanket the Chicago area

Frank Wachowski, the keeper of Chicago’s sunshine records, reported that the Chicago area received 100 percent of the possible sunshine on both Saturday and Sunday, a welcome brilliance as the city enters its historically dreariest time of the year. All that will quickly fade in the week ahead as clouds return to blanket the area on most days.

Chicago Precipitation outlook

There are a few chances for precipitation, most of it is expected to be light and fall as rain, with the best chance for some significant precipitation to arrive on Thursday. The rain should not make much of an impact on the city’s 2022 precipitation deficit, currently exceeding six inches. With slightly colder air slated to arrive by next weekend, there is a possibility that some of the precipitation might fall as a wintry mix or even some snow Thursday night and next Sunday, but at this time, no big storms are expected.

A dry start to December adding to Chicago’s 2022 moisture deficit

Chicago area rainfall has been scant across the region throughout 2022 with many parts of the Chicago area vacillating between abnormally dry and moderate drought as hit-and-miss rains targeted the area. As 2022 draws to a close, area precipitation deficits are increasing with any immediate prospects of heavy precipitation expected to target areas well south of the region through the upcoming week.