Chicagoans and visitors had an early start to the St. Patrick’s Day festivities Friday night, enjoying outdoor spaces at pubs with temperatures nearing 80 degrees.
The pleasant weather turned windy by Friday night, with possibly severe thunderstorms approaching the region and wind gusts up to 60 miles per hour persisting overnight into Saturday.
Bars and restaurants with outdoor dining spaces spent the day preparing for thousands of customers and the windy conditions.
“You never know. We’re very lucky today, we’re crossing our fingers, saying our prayers but I think it’s going to be great this year, that’s why we put up this tent, so rain or shine, we make it happen,” Anluin McKinney, a manager at Chief O’Neill’s in Avondale told NBC Chicago.
They added extra support to their outdoor tent this year.
“We always prepare for the worst, but expect the best. It’s what we do,” McKinney said.
The Irish Nobleman in West Town is also preparing to welcome thousands of guests no matter the weather.
“Chicago’s a windy city, it’s always windy,” owner Declan Morgan said.
Most of their decorations are inside this year.
A wind advisory is in effect into early Saturday morning, before a high wind warning takes effect from 7 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Saturday.
Wind gusts of up to 60 miles per hour will be possible during the Chicago River dyeing, which is slated to begin at 10 a.m.
After the expiration of the high wind warning, a second wind advisory will take effect from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, with gusts of up to 50 miles per hour still possible in that time frame.
The Chicago St. Patrick’s Day Parade is scheduled to step off at noon, after the worst of the winds are likely to have subsided.
The Chicago Office of Emergency Management and Communications (OEMC) is advising residents and businesses to take precautions to secure outdoor objects, fencing and decorations due to high winds.
As for Saturday’s parade downtown, OEMC says it will monitor the event, and will coordinate public safety resources with the Chicago Police Department, Chicago Fire Department and City of Chicago infrastructure departments as needed.
