Just two mornings ago, many Chicagoans were cranking up the furnace as the city experienced a record-setting 39 degree low—the earliest sub-40-degree fall reading here in 117 years. Today's high, expected to top out in the lower 80s, would constitute a remarkable 43-degree temperature rise. But if Tuesday afternoon's max temperatures reach the anticipated hot weather 90 degree benchmark, it would complete a remarkable 51-degree increase -- one of the largest ever recorded here in September. If the mercury does reach 90 degrees Tuesday, it would mark the 19th and possibly last such occurrence of 2007 as the city rapidly approaches the end of its hot weather season.
Severe thunderstorms raked southwest Florida Sunday evening. At least one tornado struck the Fort Myers/Cape Coral area, damaging several homes and peeling the roof off of a retail building. Hail pelted the area as high winds uprooted several trees and knocked out power.
--By Steve Kahn, 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.
