Mild spell holds 5 more days as arctic chill gathers to north

Mild weather’s in firm control the next five days. That’s a bit of an accomplishment since so many natural elements conspire to deny us warmth this time of year. For instance, sunlight in late November delivers only 21% of the energy it did in June, when the sun’s rays were strongest and highest in the sky—72° above the horizon at midday compared to just 28° today (Nov. 24). And not only is the sunlight weaker, there’s a good deal less of it. Friday will host 5 hours and 39 minutes less daylight than back in late June as summer officially began.
It’s little wonder only 3.2% of highs in the final week of November and first week of December have reached or exceeded 60° since 1870 while only 16% have risen to 50° or higher.
Thursday’s O’Hare high of 58° was the mildest Thanksgiving high here since 1998. While sunny here, Plymouth, Mass.—site of the first Thanksgiving celebration in 1621—was whipped by 50 m.p.h. winds and drenched by 2” of rain.
--By Tom Skilling, WGN-TV Chief Meteorologist