Chicago-area Lake Michigan beaches will see waves up to 9 feet and dangerous swimming conditions starting Thursday afternoon and into Friday before a warm and sunny July 4 weekend, according to the National Weather Service.
Lake, northern Cook and central Cook counties started seeing waves of 4 to 9 feet and dangerous currents at Lake Michigan beaches around 1 p.m. Thursday that were expected to persist through late Friday.
“Swimming conditions will be life threatening, especially for inexperienced swimmers,” according to the weather service.
“Remain out of the water to avoid dangerous swimming conditions and do not venture out onto piers, jetties, breakwalls, or other shoreline structures,” the weather service said.
Swimming conditions will be high risk along the lakeshore Thursday and Friday, decreasing to low risk Saturday and Sunday, when temperatures are expected to go up, according to the weather service.
By about 3 p.m., swimming was banned at 12 Chicago beaches because of wave heights, and swim advisories were in effect at nine others, with only two beaches open for swimming, according to the Chicago Park District’s beaches website
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.Friday should to see a high of around 70 and a low of about 61, and temperatures will go up to the 80s on Saturday and possibly into the low 90s Sunday and Monday. There’s no rain in the forecast for the weekend, according to the weather service.
Will, Kankakee and Grundy counties were under a flood advisory for the Kankakee River until Saturday evening at 7 p.m. At 8:45 a.m. Thursday, the stage was 5.5 feet and slowly falling, and the water levels on the river are expected to continue falling. Minor lowland flooding begins at 5 feet in areas near the river.
For updates, check the Tribune’s weather page.