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Attending any outdoor concert is always a gamble, and this year's Lollapalooza is shaping up to be no exception.
According to AccuWeather, festivalgoers heading to Grant Park this weekend should prepare for a little bit of everything, from warm, dry conditions on Thursday, July 30, to showers and thunderstorms that could temporarily disrupt performances before the weather improves by Saturday night.
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"It's a little tricky at times here as we head through the weekend," Bill Deger, AccuWeather's Senior Meteorologist III, told Time Out Chicago. "We'll see the nicest weather here on Thursday into Thursday night, not expecting any rain, and even a good portion of the shows during the day on Friday should be OK. But we do expect some rain and thunderstorms to move in by the end of the day on Friday.
"Friday night will be our highest storm risk," Deger added. "So, Friday evening and into Saturday early afternoon looks like the wettest period."
That means rain and storms may affect July 31 headliners Charli XCX and The Smashing Pumpkins' sets, and carry into early afternoon on Saturday, August 1. But Deger says attendees at Saturday's evening performances may catch a break. "We do expect some improvement later in the day Saturday. Hopefully by Saturday evening everything's dried out."
As always, lightning is the biggest concern. If storms move close enough to Grant Park, organizers could temporarily pause performances or ask attendees to evacuate parts of the festival until it's safe to resume.
"Lightning is certainly a dangerous thing to deal with, especially if you're in an outdoor venue away from shelter," Deger said. "I would expect portions of the show to be either delayed or postponed. They might have to tell people to seek shelter while the showers and storms roll through."
If you're heading to Grant Park on Friday night or Saturday afternoon, pack lightweight rain gear and keep weather alerts enabled on your phone. And if festival organizers tell you to move, they're not making a suggestion.
"You definitely want to bring some rain gear," Deger said. "If they say you need to evacuate because of lightning, don't hesitate. Just do it right away." He also noted that heavy downpours could make getting to and from the festival more difficult. "We're expecting some of those thunderstorms to bring some flooding downpours, especially during the evening on Friday into early Saturday, so definitely allow extra time to get to the shows, and you may have some delays on your way home as well."
In other words, just another weekend in Chicago this summer!