Area residents couldn’t ask for nicer holiday weather. Summer continues its march toward an official conclusion at 5:23 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 22—but you wouldn’t know it from this weekend’s daytime temperatures.
The comfortable weather is in stark contrast to blazing heat 52 years ago in 1953. Readings on each of September’s first three days established new Chicago benchmarks which stand to this day—including highs of 101°, 101° and 97°. Two additional heat records were set later the same month, including a 99° high Sept. 29—the hottest temperature to occur here so late in a season.
Six months of drought show no sign of abating, though this area’s driest springs and summers have been followed by a surge in rainfall in a majority of the Septembers which have followed.
Rock-bottom relative humidities challenged the all-time September low for a second day Friday, reaching 19% at 1:17 p.m.
WGN-TV Chief Meteorologist Tom Skilling and the WGN Weather Center staff provide daily coverage of weather in the Chicago area.
