Chicago weather: Rollercoaster forecast includes rain, warmth, storms and even snow

CHICAGO - Chicago will see a gradual warm-up this week with highs reaching the 70s by Friday, but rain returns Thursday, thunderstorms are possible Sunday, and even a chance of light snow exists Monday.

I am yanking any chance of rain in Chicagoland out of the forecast for today.

Chicago weather forecast

What we know:

The day will feature mostly cloudy skies and temperatures similar to yesterday topping out in the upper 40s. Winds will not be an issue. 

Future forecast

What's next:

Tomorrow will be partly cloudy with temperatures a few degrees warmer rising to the lower 50s. A gentle lake breeze will develop holding temperatures near shore to the 40s. 

Then there’s Thursday when the White Sox open their season. Unfortunately, the rain that I’ve taken out of today’s forecast, I have to put into Thursday’s forecast. That said it looks more showery in nature and it will likely not be enough to rain out the game. Highs make it into the upper 50s, but it will once again be cooler near the lake. 

On Friday there’s another small chance of showers, but the main story is how much warmer it is going to be. Highs will climb well into the 70s under partly sunny skies. 

Over the weekend there will be a few showers around on Saturday with highs not far from 70 degrees. The day to watch for potential thunderstorm activity, which could be strong, is Sunday. The afternoon and evening hours would be prime time for this activity should it materialize. Highs will be in the upper 60s. And just to add a little more fun to the forecast, how about a chance of light snow on Monday morning as the Sunday storm system exits.