Sunday forecast: A very mild December day in Chicagoland before temps plummet again this week

We’re being rewarded with a very mild Sunday in Chicagoland after getting through our first stretch of sub-freezing weather this winter.

So enjoy it before the cold returns — and it will soon.

Sunday highs will reach the low 50s, which is more than 10 degrees warmer than usual for this time of year. Early-morning temperatures Sunday were in the upper 30s throughout the area, already matching the typical daytime high for Dec. 8.

That should top Saturday’s high of 50 in Chicago, which made it the warmest day of the month so far. Saturday saw warm temps all over the Midwest, in fact, with Des Moines, Iowa, topping out at a record-high 64.

It’ll also be mostly sunny around Chicagoland for the majority of Sunday before clouds increase later, with a chance for showers in some areas into the night-time hours.

After highs around 50 again Monday, the big temp crash happens Tuesday, then highs will only be in the low to mid-20s by Wednesday and Thursday. The good news, however, is that the roller coaster looks to swing back up to warmer temps again by next weekend.

Forecast

TODAY: Sunny, breezy and milder. Winds SSW/S at 5-15 mph, gusts to 20. High 52.

TONIGHT: Increasing evening clouds and chance of showers. Mild for the season. Winds SSW/WSW at 5-10 mph. Low 43.

TOMORROW: Clouds and some sun, getting breezy and continuing mild. Winds WSW at 5-15 mph. High 50.

EXTENDED OUTLOOK: Temps to crash back to reality on Tuesday. We start out at midnight with temps in the mid-30s, and by dinnertime we’ll be in the mid- to upper 20s. We’ll get even colder for Wednesday/Thursday, with high temps in the mid- to low 20s and low temps back in the teens and single digits, with partly cloudy skies. Rebounding back toward 40 for highs by next weekend, with a chance of rain showers.