Summer-level heat reached the Plains Tuesday sending temperatures rocketing 30-
degrees above mid-April norms shattering records—some nearly 40 years old. The
unusual warmth, 50+ m.p.h. gusts and single digit relative humidities heightened
wildfire fears prompting Red Flag Warnings from Texas to the Dakotas. July-like
highs of 91-degrees at Pierre, 88-degrees at Mobridge and 85-degrees at Rapid City
—all in South Dakota— estab- lished new records.
Northern Illinois temperatures Tuesday surged to 61-degrees at Rockford and
Kankakee and 60-degrees at Aurora and Wheeling. Peak readings at Midway and
O’Hare topped out at 59-degrees, the warmest since Friday.
THIS YEAR’S WARMEST AND FIRST 70-DEGREES IN 6 MONTHS AHEAD
Chicago’s warmest temperature to date in 2008 has been just 65-degrees nearly
three and a half months ago on January 7. A high of 73-degrees Wednesday would
become the year’s warmest. Readings had already surged to 79-degrees twice by this
date a year ago.
