Temperatures appear headed for the 80s Sunday and Monday—a dramatic turnaround
from May’s stubbornly chilly opening three weeks The month is nearly 2-degrees below
normal and 7 degrees behind the same period a year ago. To date, it ranks among the
eight chilliest Mays here since 1980. Lake Michigan’s average surface temperature, as
estimated by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration satellites, has crept 10
degrees higher in the past two months—yet only averages 41 degrees. A predicted
windshift to the northeast later Wednesday night is to tap the cool air which sits above
the lake surface and keep it coming ashore through week’s end. This will limit shoreline
highs to late March levels of low 50s even as inland areas flirt with the low and mid 60s.
Record-breaking heat in the Southwest is to come to an unceremonious end in the
next two days as unseasonably cool air dives into the region. Temperatures are to
plunge 30 degrees.
IT’S BEEN WARMER BY NOW 90% OF TIME
Chicago highest temperature so far this year has been just 82 degrees, back in April; 72
of the past 80 years—90 percent of them—have recorded warmer readings by this date.
