Chicago weather: Record-breaking temps on the way

CHICAGO - Chicago's next warming cycle begins today.

There will be some cloudiness this morning followed by sunshine and highs in the mid to upper 60s. It will be breezy at times. Tonight will be unseasonably mild with lows not far from 60. That’s above the normal high for this time of year. That sets the table for a record-crushing high tomorrow. 

The old mark is 78 degrees set most recently in 1999.  We should top out in the low 80s with sunshine and high clouds.

Wednesday will be almost as warm but the record is 85 degrees. At night, a front moves through and that will spark showers and perhaps thunder especially late. Those showers will exit during the morning hours of Halloween leaving the rest of the day dry with temps in the 50s for trick or treating.  

There are additional chances for rainfall over the weekend as a more active weather pattern targets our region.

A note about winds tomorrow: There could be gusts to more than 40 mph and that will lead to dangerous conditions for outdoor burning.