Friday’s 36° high—a reading equal to the normal high on Feb. 18 and 18 degrees below current normal highs in the mid 50s—was Chicago’s coldest April 6th temperature in 25 years. On only five occasions have temperatures for the date been colder in 137 years of weather records. A wintry overcast and blustery northwest winds are likely to further reduce area highs Saturday, challenging the 71-year-old record low maximum temperature of 32°.
The outbreak of unseasonable cold is so expansive, 21 states south to Alabama and Georgia have been placed under freeze advisories, which extend into Saturday night. Low temperatures as far south as north Florida are to drop near freezing.
In stark contrast, warmer than normal readings broke records over western North America from Oregon and Washington north to Alaska. Seattle topped out at 79° while King Salmon, Alaska, hit 58°—some of the earliest 50°-plus warmth on record there.
--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.
