Chicago-area residents are being urged to use caution on Sunday as unseasonably warm temperatures could cause dangerous conditions.
According to a special weather statement issued by the National Weather Service, the entire Chicago area is at elevated risk of brush fires on Sunday, along with the potential for blowing dust because of ongoing harvests on area farms.
The unseasonably warm temperatures, along with low relative humidity, dry vegetation and gusty winds, will exacerbate those dangers, and could pose safety risks on area roadways and to area residents.
Forecasters are urging residents to delay outdoor burning if at all possible, and to use care when discarding smoking materials, especially near dried vegetation.
What’s more, the southerly winds could cause blowing dust, which could sharply reduce visibility on area roadways, according to the alert.
High temperatures are expected to reach into the mid-to-upper 80s again on Sunday, but big changes are coming in the forecast. Monday and into Tuesday, a cold front is expected to begin pushing through the Chicago area, and by the time it leaves, high temperatures could drop into the mid-60s, according to forecast models.
Conditions should dry out after that, but temperatures are expected to remain seasonable moving into next weekend.