There’s been a sea change in Chicago’s weather. Friday’s markedly colder temps, strengthening winds and incoming rains make that abundantly clear to area residents treated on Thursday to the city’s latest occurring 70° in 7 years. It’s likely to be a while before such warmth returns.
Since 1928, three of four years have produced no additional 70s beyond Nov. 11. Just one 70° high has occurred this late or later in the season in the past 15 years.
Such warmth will be the last thing on Chicagoans’ minds any time soon. The upcoming weekend is to be the chilliest here in 9 months (since March 4-5). It’s likely many suburban residents will watch as temperatures plummet into the teens Saturday night and Sunday morning—the coldest nighttime lows there since last February.
Southward plunging arctic air by late Thursday had slashed record warm mid-week high temperatures by more than 30° over a huge swath of the Midwest.
-Tom Skilling
