Before temperatures surge into the low 20s Tuesday, Chicagoans will have shivered through 108 consecutive hours of sub-15° readings which began at midnight Thursday night/Friday morning. It’s only the 11th time since 1871 that four consecutive days in mid-January have hosted temps of 15° or lower. The past four days have averaged only 8.5°—more than 15.5 degrees below normal and the 14th coolest mid-January period here in 135 years. Monday’s 11° high was Chicago’s coldest since the 3° high a year ago on Jan. 30.
The chill plunged deep into Florida where wind chill advisories accompanied predicted upper 20° lows overnight.
Meanwhile, space weather forecasters continue monitoring a mammoth sunspot which on Monday grew to the size of Jupiter on our sun’s surface. Huge solar flares have emanated from the area of solar storminess and auroral displays continue a better than normal possibility here on Earth.
WGN-TV Chief Meteorologist Tom Skilling and the WGN Weather Center staff provide daily coverage of weather in the Chicago area.
