Friday’s sunshine-driven temperature “surge” to a predicted high of 50° doesn’t begin to approach the 80° warmth Chicagoans enjoyed a year ago. The city was in the midst of a spell of unseasonable warmth which included five consecutive highs well above 70° from April 10-14.
April 2007’s temperatures couldn’t be more different. Not only are the opening 12 days of the month running 10° below the same period a year ago, Thursday’s 38° high—a February level reading—marked the fourth time this month daytime readings have failed to reach 40°. Only five Aprils since the city’s O’Hare observation site opened in 1959 have produced as many or more sub-40° April highs. In fact, the past 7 Aprils combined only managed five days that cool. Less than two days since the Midwest found itself in the grip of a major spring storm, another dangerous system is moving into the Plains.
--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.
