First rain in more than a week to dampen city

The Chicago area has not received measurable rain since Oct. 3. A band of showers and some thunderstorms will sweep across the regionMonday, bringing some brief, minor relief. However, dry, windy weather coupled with low humidity will followTuesday andWednesday, raising the wildfire threat across northern Illinois. A sharp change to colderweather moves into the area Thursday as a northwest shift in the jet stream ushers in the coldest air of the season. Temperatures will trend downward into theweekend, with afternoon highs struggling to reach 50 degrees by Friday. Overnight lows into the lower 30s will bring the threat of frost and freeze. Oct. 12, 2006, the Chicago areawas hit by its earliest measurable snow. Therewere just minor amounts in the city, but nearly two inches fell in the northern suburbs.