Temperatures take off Thursday, reaching the highest levels here since Sunday’s 80°. Chicago sits beneath the nose (leading edge) of powerful 110 m.p.h. jet stream winds. Air sinks on a vast scale there, drying and compressing in the process. Skies clear when that happens and temperatures soar. The meteorologoical situation is stunningly similar to this past Sunday, which began cloudy and turned gloriously sunny and windy. Though moisture is limited, an isolated gusty t-storm could flare in several spots late today.
Florida broiled in record heat while New Englanders shivered through record daytime temps Wednesday. Ft. Lauderdale’s 92° and the 93° in Miami contrasted with Boston’s 46° afternoon reading—a mid-March level temp.
A brief tornado touchdown at Port Saint Lucie, Florida around 3:15 p.m. Wednesday afternoon moved a police patrol car 100 feet and uprooted a large tree.
WGN-TV Chief Meteorologist Tom Skilling and the WGN Weather Center staff provide daily coverage of weather in the Chicago area.
