The remarkable 47-consecutive day run of mild weather, which started in the final days of December, ends Wednesday with the arrival of the city’s first below-normal temperatures since Dec. 22. The unprecedented string of above normal readings has radically altered Winter 2005-06’s temperature ranking. What was once the 4th coldest winter on record back in December has surged to the 26th warmest spot here since 1871, good enough to rank among the mildest 19% of cold seasons on the books here. That news follows the official word late Tuesday from NOAA’s National Climatic Data Center, that Lower 48 residents experienced the mildest January on record (since 1895) last month.
Cold weather tightens its grip on the area this weekend. Wednesday’s lake snows may not be the last. Another disturbance brings snow back to the area Thursday night—and spells of flurries will come and go in the coming 7 days.
-Tom Skilling
WGN-TV Chief Meteorologist Tom Skilling and the WGN Weather Center staff provide daily coverage of weather in the Chicago area.
