Dear Tom,
My great-grandchildren are old enough to trick-or-treat now and I've been telling them
about some very warm Chicago Halloweens that I remember back in the 1930s. Can you
refresh my memories so I give them more detail?
Clara Price
Dear Clara,
You must be recalling the Halloweens in 1933 and 1935 when the temperature peaked
at a summery 78 degrees. In fact, since 1871 only two Chicago Halloweens have been
warmer, 1950 when it reached 84 degrees and 1944 when the mercury hit 79. Not only
was Halloween 1933 warm but it was also dry, a great day for trick-or-treating, but in
1935 a steady rain fell after 8 p.m. putting a damper on the festivities. The city's last
truly mild Halloween was back in 2000 with a high of 70 degrees. In contrast, the
coldest took place in 1873 when the high was only 31 and the low 23 with some light
snow reported at times.
