Chicago weather: Temps drop after unusually warm Christmas

CHICAGO - Christmas marked a climatic anomaly for Chicago, ranking as the city’s second-warmest Christmas and the fifth-wettest in recorded history. As the city emerged from a day of unusual warmth and precipitation, the forecast now shifts gears for the days ahead.

Tuesday ushers in a cooler climate compared to the unseasonably warm temperatures of Christmas day. The mercury will hover around 40 degrees after a morning high of 50, accompanied by persisting cloudy skies. Any lingering patches of drizzle are expected to fade away through the morning, setting the stage for a day shrouded in cloud cover.

Tuesday night, the city anticipates a shift to partly cloudy conditions as temperatures flirt with the freezing mark. Wednesday is projected to maintain the cloud cover, with highs settling in the lower 40s, continuing the trend of slightly warmer weather than usual.

Looking ahead to Thursday, there's a possibility of rain, particularly favoring the city and areas to the south. Despite this chance of precipitation, temperatures are expected to remain several degrees above the seasonal norm, sustaining the uncharacteristic warmth experienced recently.

As the weekend approaches, eyes turn to New Year's Eve, where a chance of precipitation reappears in the forecast. There's potential for some flurries as the year draws to a close, accompanied by highs in the upper 30s.

Chicagoans can anticipate a continuation of this deviation from typical winter weather, with temperatures consistently hovering above average and periodic chances of rain and even some flurries on the horizon.