Chill like Thursday’s didn’t hit until Nov. 16 a year ago

The long advertised plunge into a record-challenging early season arctic air mass is just hours away as Wednesday begins. Steady, wide coverage rain greets area residents as the day gets underway. But, a southeastbound polar front swings across the city Wednesday, introducing powerful westerly winds expected to gust to 30+ m.p.h. later today and to send temperatures diving. Rush hour readings are likely to have fallen into the low or mid 40s and the coldest air since last April takes hold tonight threatening sub-freezing temperatures by morning.
The coldest temperature recorded in Chicago during the entire month of October a year ago was 48°—a reading which may be easily eclipsed by the predicted 38° high Thursday. A peak temperature at that level would put the day’s 89-year old record for the coldest Oct. 12 max temperature (38° in 1917) in jeopardy.
-Tom Skilling