Chicago’s high temperature was 24º exactly one week ago, and nighttime readings were in the teens—but that is a fading memory as today’s temperatures head toward record-setting warmth. And we’re not alone: This early-spring mild spell sent yesterday’s temperatures into the 80s as far north as the Dakotas, and the intermountain West is mild as well. It’s a testament to the changeable nature of the nation’s spring climate.
While welcome here, the warmth is not without its problems elsewhere. High temperatures, low humidity and 40 m.p.h. Santa Ana winds have sparked wildfires in the Los Angeles area.
Locally, brisk southwesterly winds today will be sufficient to overcome the possibility of lakeside cooling—always a consideration on exceptionally mild early-spring days—so today’s record-high temp is expected to prevail right down to the icy waters of Lake Michigan.
--By Richard Koeneman, WGN Weather Center Meteorologist
WGN-TV Chief Meteorologist Tom Skilling and the WGN Weather Center staff provide daily coverage of weather in the Chicago area.
