After nearly a week of flood warnings, wind advisories and extreme conditions on Lake Michigan, the lake is finally starting to mellow out. While swimming is still inadvisable and prohibited at most Illinois beaches, the first weekend of fall may reach the 80-degree mark.
Zachary Yack, a National Weather Service meteorologist, said beach conditions remained dangerous Thursday, especially for inexperienced swimmers. The weather service extended its beach hazards statement into Thursday evening for Cook County but allowed the lakeshore flood advisory to lapse at 10 a.m.
Forecasters also warned parts of the lakefront bike path likely will be “inundated and impassible” as floodwaters recede. Swimming remains “life-threatening,” and residents should also avoid walking on piers, jetties, breakwalls, or other shoreline structures.
Flooding and beach conditions are still a major concern on the Indiana lakeshore, Yack said, where waves were higher than 10 feet Thursday.
“The waves are still quite high out there so people need to be careful on the lakeshore (Thursday),” Yack said.
This weekend, Chicago residents can expect temperatures in the high 60s to low 80s during the day with some cloud cover remaining on Friday and Saturday. Nighttime temperatures will stay cool, however, with lows in the mid-40s.
According to Yack, the low nighttime temperaturesare thanks to multiple systems moving in from the north, carrying in colder, drier air to Chicago.
For more on the forecast, visit the Tribune’s weather page.