Chicago could be heading into its first heat wave of the year, with dangerously hot temperatures forecast from Monday through Friday and heat indices that could climb above 100 degrees. The hottest stretch is expected from Monday through Wednesday, when the city could feel like 105 degrees if storms do not break the pattern.
That is why the National Weather Service and the Office of Emergency Management and Communications are urging residents to plan ahead now, before the heat settles in. Temperatures in Chicago are expected to rise into the 90s over the next few days, a jump that can quickly turn dangerous for people working outside, older adults and anyone without a reliable way to cool down.
Zachary Yack said residents should bring water and cold drinks, dress in lighter clothing if they are outside for work and check on neighbors and friends, especially people with medical issues that heat could worsen. He also said people without air conditioning should be reached out to directly, because the kind of heat expected this week can become dangerous fast.
City officials are preparing for that possibility by opening six cooling centers from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, and by directing people to Chicago Public Library locations, Chicago Park District fields, City Colleges of Chicago main campuses and 22 Chicago Police Department stations where they can get a break from the heat. The setup reflects how broad the risk is: this is not just a few hot afternoons, but a run of weather that could affect daily routines across Chicago.
The wild card is what happens late in the week. Storms are possible on Thursday and Friday, and if they develop, they could bring some relief. If they do not, Yack said, the heat could persist into next weekend and even through the 4th of July, which means the city may not get a true break when people need it most. A stationary high-pressure system over the Midwest and the eastern half of the United States is expected to create a heat dome, and that is what is keeping the forecast locked in place.
For now, the warning is simple: Chicago is likely to spend the workweek under an Extreme Heat Alert, and the length of the danger still depends on whether those late-week storms show up.
