Moderate temperatures and dry weather will set the meteorological theme through the week. It's a "progressive" weather regime characterized by a succession of weak disturbances sweeping across the Midwest, each accompanied by a slight, brief warmup and followed by a slight, brief temperature downturn -- and little or no precipitation. The air is, and will remain, dry into the weekend.
All persistent weather patterns must eventually give way to a new weather regime. To that end, computer models suggest a change to a wetter and more stormy pattern about January 12. Until then, however, expect a continuation of dry and relatively quiet weather and, by early next week, significantly warmer temperatures. Much to the displeasure of Chicago's snow lovers, this also implies a continuation of the city's "snow drought" into mid-January.
