Chicago weather: Heavy rain expected tonight, snowflakes possible next week

CHICAGO - Rain is moving into Chicagoland Wednesday evening and will be moderate to heavy at times. 

Showers and possibly a few storms will linger Wednesday night into early Thursday morning. Temperatures are expected to be rather steady tonight with lows in the upper 40s for most areas.

Thursday will begin with drizzle and cloudy skies. Showers will come to an end throughout the morning/midday hours, and then the rest of the day will be mostly cloudy with highs in the lower 50s.

Friday looks nice with partly cloudy skies and highs in the mid 50s. As of now, the weekend looks fairly quiet with partly sunny skies and Saturday and Sunday with highs in the upper 50s to near 60 degrees. There is a small chance for a few showers on Sunday, but most areas stay dry.

A more active weather pattern is on tap for next week. 

Monday will be partly sunny with the chance of rain returning Monday night into Tuesday. A few waves of rain will be possible next week with highs in the upper 50s to near 60 through Tuesday.

Signs are pointing towards a big cool-down late next week, and possibly the first snowflakes of the season.