At 71.4°, Midway Airport reported the warmest September since records began in 1928. Only 4 days last month had sub-70° highs. After the brief two-day cooldown late last week, temperatures rebounded Saturday, with both airports and the lakefront starting October with highs of 79°, some 10 degrees above normal. And that’s just the start of what should be a string of warm days at hand, with at least three days above 80°. By Monday and Tuesday, highs should reach the mid 80s, with just a tinge of summer-level humidity—all of this warmth courtesy of a strong jet stream nudging farther north into Canada for the first part of the week.
On Wednesday, temperatures come crashing back down as a strong cold front with gusty winds sweeps through midday Wednesday with a good chance of thunderstorms. Before then, a respectable upper-level system passing by late Sunday could also touch off a round of storms late in the day and overnight.
WGN-TV Chief Meteorologist Tom Skilling and the WGN Weather Center staff provide daily coverage of weather in the Chicago area.
