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By Meteorologist Steve Kahn

With mild air streaming into the Chicago area Monday on gusty west-southwest winds, temperatures could reach unseasonably mild levels approaching 50 degrees if the sun were to shine all day. However, low clouds and fog that have been so prevalent across the area in recent days are likely to develop again Monday morning putting the brakes on temperature rises until they dissipate. Such was the case Sunday when temperatures hovered in the 30s much of the day under foggy, leaden skies across Iowa and far northwest Illinois while the mercury surged in to the lower and middle 40s in the Chicago area once the clouds broke.
 
Temperatures on a downward trend

Seasonably colder weather will arrive Tuesday accompanied by snow showers and gusty north winds , a precursor for a  stronger surge of arctic air that will arrive by Friday bringing the coldest weather to hit the area since January 20 when the city logged a high of 24 and a low of 5.

This snowy shot was taken at the Steamboat Ski Resort near Steamboat Colorado.

Thanks to Diane for submitting this photo montage depicting the beauty of a foggy, early February morning in Bourbonnais.


Photo by Diane

By Meteorologist Steve Kahn

Friday morning commuters, especially those in outlying areas, will have to deal with dense fog for a second morning as visibilities are expected to be a quarter mile or less. The fog is expected to lift by afternoon, but residual low cloudiness and strengthening northeast winds will keep temperatures lower than in recent days, though still well above the seasonable normal. Thursday's official high of 43 degrees at O'Hare International Airport marked the city's 37th day of at least 40 degrees since Dec. 1, the most for any winter period to date since 42 were logged in the winter of 1889-90.

Cold in Europe, Asia

While Chicago and much of the U.S. are experiencing a mild winter, severe cold is gripping portions of Europe and Asia. Scores of record lows were set Thursday spanning areas from the United Kingdom to Japan. Some of the coldest readings were in Kazakhstan where the mercury plunged to minus 35 degrees at Karaganda.

Thanks to Lynn Smith Casey for this shot of a United Airlines plane being de-iced Friday afternoon during the early stages of the snowstorm. Photo by Lynn Smith Casey

Thank to Aletha for taking these shots of swans doing their "thing" the morning after our snowstorm. The photos were takenin the Lemont area. Photos by Aletha

Thanks to Betty Shervy of Aurora for sending us this great shot capturing the beauty of the season's first major snowfall in Aurora. Photo by Betty Shervy

While the first major snowstorm of the season is winding down in much of the Chicago Metro area, accumulating snow continues to fall in northwest Indiana in Lake and Porter counties.

Chicago's official snowfall Thursday...