Another punch of arctic air settles across the city Wednesday and Thursday, and
afternoon temperatures in the middle and upper 20s are more representative of mid-January than
mid-March. Wednesday, however, will be by far the worst of the two days because northwest
winds gusting occasionally above 40 m.p.h. add an icy feel to the air. Vigorous winter
storms draw additional strength from sharp temperature contrasts, and startling disparities
prevailed across the Midwest on Tuesday afternoon. A blizzard was raging across
Minnesota and North Dakota and residents in St. Louis basked in warmth that is quite unusual for
early spring. At 5 p.m., Fargo, N.D., registered a wind-chill temperature of 23 below
zero and St. Louis reported a heat-index temperature of 80 -- a "feels-like" temperature
difference of 123 degrees across 658 miles.
ABRUPT PATTERN CHANGE
Following Wednesday's wind and cold, relatively placid conditions and temperatures
finally return. It will remain dry through Saturday.
--By Richard Koeneman, 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.
