When Will The Sunshine Return To The Chicago Area? / Snow Possible Through The Weekend

As many may have noticed, it’s been a very cloudy January.

And, unfortunately, there isn’t much sunshine predicted for this weekend either for the Chicago area, with cloudy skies in the forecast through Sunday.

So far this month, there has only been 24.5 percent of possible sunshine to date, which ranks only behind January 1988 for receiving the least amount of possible sunshine for a January, Chicago’s veteran weather observer Frank Wachowski told WGN on Thursday. In 1988, there was only 20 percent of possible sunshine recorded that January.

Throughout the month, there have been five, maybe six, total days with sunshine in the city of Chicago, which is well below the average of 13 days of sunshine typical for the city during the winter, according to DNAinfo.

Partly sunny or mostly sunny skies are in the forecast for Monday for portions of the Chicago area. But, overall, the Chicago area should not expect to be basking in the sunshine for some time.

“There can be some, but it looks like we’re still in a pattern favoring a lot of clouds,” AccuWeather meteorologist John Gresiak Gresiak told DNAinfo.

Meanwhile, there is a chance for occasional flurries on Friday. There will be a greater chance for snow showers on Saturday and especially on Sunday. High temperatures near 30 and in the upper 20s are in the forecast through Sunday, and wind gusts between 10 to 20 mph are also expected through much of the weekend.

Here is a more detailed look at the forecast for the coming days:

• FRIDAY: Cloudy. Occasional flurries mainly in the morning. Highs around 30. West winds 10 to 20 mph.
• FRIDAY NIGHT: Mostly cloudy. Occasional flurries after midnight. Lows in the mid 20s. West winds 10 to 20 mph.
• SATURDAY: Mostly cloudy with a 20 percent chance of snow showers. Highs around 30. West winds 10 to 15 mph.
• SATURDAY NIGHT: Mostly cloudy with a 20 percent chance of snow showers. Lows in the lower 20s. West winds 10 to 15 mph.
• SUNDAY: Mostly cloudy with a 30 percent chance of snow showers. Highs in the upper 20s. Northwest winds 10 to 15 mph.
• SUNDAY: Partly cloudy. A 30 percent chance of light snow showers in the evening. Lows 15 to 19.
• MONDAY: Partly sunny. A 30 percent chance of light snow showers in the afternoon. Highs in the upper 20s.