Snow Could Impact Holiday Weekend After Temperatures Plunge For Thanksgiving

The days leading up to the Thanksgiving holiday on Thursday will start mild before turning into a "much colder pattern" with high winds and plummeting temperatures, the National Weather Service said.

And, the weather service is also monitoring some accumulating snow that may impact post-Thanksgiving travel, an especially busy time on Illinois roads.

First, the week will start mild with a high of 54 on Monday and a high of 55 degrees on Tuesday. There is also a chance of light rain on Monday night into Tuesday.

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"A powerful cold front will sweep across the area Tuesday night, with strong westerly winds (gusts to ~45 mph) and temps in the 30s for the busy travel day on Wednesday," the weather service said.

Wednesday will have a high of 38, and Thursday will have a high of 35.

The weather service said Thanksgiving won't be as windy as Wednesday, but still "blustery and cold."

Friday during the day will be quite and chilly with a high of 34, before a chance of snow develops on Friday night. According to the weather service, there is already a 60 percent chance of snow in the forecast for Saturday.

It is still too early for exact track and timing of snowfall, but the weather service is advising to prepare for potential travel impacts.

Here is a more detailed look at the weather this week, per the weather service:

MONDAY: Cloudy, with a high near 51. South wind around 10 mph, with gusts as high as 15 mph.

MONDAY NIGHT: Rain likely, mainly after midnight. Patchy fog after 1 a.m. Otherwise, cloudy, with a low around 46. South wind around 5 mph, with gusts as high as 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70 percent. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.

TUESDAY: Areas of drizzle and fog before noon. Cloudy, with a high near 52. Light and variable wind becoming southwest 5 to 10 mph in the morning.

TUESDAY NIGHT: A 50 percent chance of showers before midnight. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 35. Breezy, with a west wind 10 to 15 mph increasing to 15 to 20 mph after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 35 mph.

WEDNESDAY: A slight chance of snow showers before noon, then a chance of flurries after noon. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 36. Breezy, with a west wind 20 to 25 mph, with gusts as high as 40 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20 percent.

WEDNESDAY NIGHT: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 24. Breezy.

THURSDAY: Mostly sunny, with a high near 33.

THURSDAY NIGHT: Partly cloudy, with a low around 20.

FRIDAY: Mostly sunny, with a high near 32.

FRIDAY NIGHT: A chance of snow after midnight. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 23.