The Oct. 7 record high of 86 degrees set 60 years ago in Chicago was exceeded yesterday by a degree at O'Hare Airport and by at least that number at many other locations around the metro area. The record hot and humid conditions unfortunately coincided with the 30th running of the LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon.
While southerly winds, warmth and humidity again greet Chicagoans today, increasing cloudiness, showers, and a wind shift to the west later this afternoon will signal the beginning of a change to much more fall-like weather. Temperatures will slowly drop the following 24 hours with the coldest air scheduled to hit northeast Illinois Wednesday. Highs Wednesday will struggle to hit the mid 50s -- more than 30 degrees cooler than the highs experienced over this past weekend. The remainder of the week will average about 3 degrees below normal. Longer-range projections indicate warmer-than-normal readings the following week.
--By Paul Dailey, 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.
