There’s a hint of autumn in the air as this Labor Day holiday weekend gets underway. Chicagoans haven’t experienced a weekend with temperatures on par with those predicted over the next few days in nearly three months. Daytime highs Saturday and Sunday are predicted to hold to the mid 70s—levels more typical of mid or late September.
Despite the cool “feel” of the air in recent days, Chicago weather records hint strongly that warm weather isn’t behind us yet. An average of 14 more days of 80° or warmer temperatures—and even two days of 90°-plus readings—have typically occurred from this date forward.
The Mid-Atlantic was pounded by Tropical Storm Ernesto’s high winds and torrential rains Friday. Rainfall amounted to 11.92” at Surf City, N.C., while Virginia Beach, Va., was awash after 10.43”. Coastal wind gusts clocked as high as 74 m.p.h. produced waves more than 17 feet high offshore.
--By Tom Skilling, WGN-TV Chief Meteorologist
WGN-TV Chief Meteorologist Tom Skilling and the WGN Weather Center staff provide daily coverage of weather in the Chicago area.
