Scalding summer heat continues to avoid the Chicago area, choosing instead to bake the West. From San Diego (96°) and Los Angeles (94°) north to Boise, Idaho (101°) at least a dozen new temperature records were set Tuesday, part of a hot air mass expected to send a tentacle of heat into Chicago by Saturday. To date, June 2006 has only two days of 90s—half the normal number. With no additional 90s likely before the month closes, this June is likely to join only 22 others since 1928 to produce so few 90s at Midway Airport. The summers which have followed similar Junes have trended modestly cooler than normal, with the final June-August average finishing about 0.5° below normal and the city’s annual 90° tally closer to 18 than the “normal” 21.
But July arrives Saturday and may do so with the first 90° air here in two weeks. The upcoming 2 weeks has produced at least one 90° high 91% of the time in the past 78 years at Midway Airport.
-Tom Skilling
WGN-TV Chief Meteorologist Tom Skilling and the WGN Weather Center staff provide daily coverage of weather in the Chicago area.
