Chilly east winds off Lake Michigan, which deprive shoreline residents the 70s enjoyed
by inland neighbors half the time in a typical April, were at it again Monday. While
O'Hare and Midway reached well into the 70s, temperatures struggled just to make it to
-- if not edge a bit above -- 60 degrees along Lake Shore Drive north to Highland Park
(60 degrees) and Waukegan (64 degrees). It's the sort of temperature spread that
Tuesday's stronger, more southerly winds are likely to whittle away.
The Chicago area, still playing catch-up with 70-degree temperatures, chalks up the
fifth of 2008 Tuesday -- a tally behind the long-term average of eight 70s by April 22.
The 70-degree tally at Midway Airport has been higher by this point in the season 53 of
the past 80 years (or 66 percent of them).
BRUTAL CHILL SMASHES RECORDS OUT WEST, PRODUCES RARE SUBZERO LOWS
Montanans and others across the Northwest have to be checking their calendars. The
chill of recent days has felt anything like spring.
Though readings will begin improving slowly in coming days, Monday morning's low at
Great Falls, Mont., slipped to -8 degrees, obliterating the old 1951 record of 11 by an
astounding 19 degrees.
--Tom Skilling, Chief Meteorologist, WGN-TV/Chicago Tribune
