High waves, wind and rain, thanks to Hurricane Helene, and no sunshine for Chicago until next week

Sunshine is off the table for the Chicago area until early next week thanks to the remnants of Hurricane Helene, forecasters say.

The storm that landed in Florida on Thursday is expected to bring rain, dangerous lakefront waves and high wind to northern Illinois Friday evening. Hurricane Helene is stalling over Kentucky, and parts of the storm are expected to break off and reach Chicago, according to National Weather Service meteorologist Brett Borchardt.

The worst of the storm will pass overnight Friday, then lead to intermittent rainfall throughout Saturday, he said. Showers should end by Sunday afternoon. Cloud cover may not leave until early next week.

“We’re stuck under clouds through Monday,” Borchardt said. More sunshine is expected Tuesday and Wednesday, he said.

Up to an inch of rain could hit parts of the south suburbs Friday night, though most areas should expect between a quarter- and a half-inch, he said. Areas north of O’Hare may see little or no rain, he said.

Strong winds from the northeast are creating dangerous lakefront waves.

The waves are expected to double in size into Friday evening, up to 7 to 10 feet, Borchardt said. The weather service issued a high-wave warning through Sunday morning. On social media, the Weather Service warned pedestrians along the lakeshore to wear life jackets in case they are swept away by the waves.

“We’re encouraging people to change their plans and avoid the lakeshore,” Borchardt said.