'Roller Coaster' Of Temperatures: Rainy And Blustery Weather Expected For Chicago Area

A "roller coaster" of temperatures is expected the rest of this week, according to the National Weather Service, and the week of Christmas looks like mild temperatures may stick around.

An "active period of weather" is expected late Wednesday through Thursday night, the weather service said on its Facebook.

Drizzle is possible late Wednesday, with rising temperatures through the night. The high on Wednesday is 43, according to the current forecast.

"Breezy conditions with periods of rain will develop late [Wednesday] through Thursday morning, followed by blustery conditions behind a cold front Thursday afternoon and night," the weather service said.

Winds will be as high as 30 mph on Wednesday night, 35 mph on Thursday, and 40 mph gusts are possible on Thursday night.

Thursday has a high of 50 degrees, but temperatures will start falling in the afternoon. Wind chills on Thursday night could be as low as 5 below zero. There is also a chance of snow late Thursday.

Temperatures will moderate once again going into Saturday, the weather service said.

Speaking of moderation, the NOAA's 8-14 day temperature outlook also calls for some mild temperatures. The Chicago area has an above normal chance for above normal temperatures from Dec. 24-Dec. 30, as does nearly the entire United States.

AccuWeather's forecast calls for highs mostly in the 40s the week of Christmas, with a high of: 39 on Dec. 22, 45 on Dec. 23, 40 degrees on Christmas Eve and 39 on Christmas Day.

While those temperatures are mild, the warmest temperatures recorded on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day are 20 degrees higher, according to weather service records.

The warmest Christmas Eve in Chicago happened in 1889 when it was 64 degrees; and the warmest Christmas Day was in 1982 when it was 64 degrees. In recent years, 2023 and 2019 claimed the second and third-warmest Christmases; with 59 degrees and 57 degrees, respectively.