What a summer! Many Chicago area residents are just shaking their heads -- some pleased by the lack of heat, others disappointed at the failure of hot weather to gain a foothold here. Extremely rare mid-summer lake-effect rains were pouring down on sections of La Porte and Berrien Counties in Indiana and Michigan Friday evening -- just the latest meteorological twist in a summer of topsy-turvy weather across the region.
July has slipped to the coolest to date here in 42 years -- its 68.7 degree average temperature running nearly 5 degrees behind the long-term (138-year) average. Friday's 70-degree high was the first time in 53 years a July 17 temperature failed to rise above 70 -- you'd have to travel back to a 64-degree high 85 years ago to find a July 17 that was cooler. In Rockford, Friday's 67-degree high broke the record for the date, becoming the coolest July 17 high on the books. The reading was Rockford's fourth record-low daytime maximum to fall since June 30.
July's average Chicago highs rank among the two lowest in 50 years at O'Hare
The average high for July's first 17 days has been 77.5 degrees -- the second coolest in the 50 years of O'Hare Airport weather records dating back to 1959. Only 1967's 76.2-degree tally has been cooler.
July has slipped to the coolest to date here in 42 years -- its 68.7 degree average temperature running nearly 5 degrees behind the long-term (138-year) average. Friday's 70-degree high was the first time in 53 years a July 17 temperature failed to rise above 70 -- you'd have to travel back to a 64-degree high 85 years ago to find a July 17 that was cooler. In Rockford, Friday's 67-degree high broke the record for the date, becoming the coolest July 17 high on the books. The reading was Rockford's fourth record-low daytime maximum to fall since June 30.
July's average Chicago highs rank among the two lowest in 50 years at O'Hare
The average high for July's first 17 days has been 77.5 degrees -- the second coolest in the 50 years of O'Hare Airport weather records dating back to 1959. Only 1967's 76.2-degree tally has been cooler.
It is almost impossible to get a good hay crop cut and dried. I need 5 dry and sunny days in a row. It has happened one time so far this summer. I can not rember so many days with a "chance" of rain.
Hi Tom,
I'm asking you a question here, because I wasn't sure what other venue to use to contact you. But its a weather question about Phoenix.
My cousin lives in Phoenix and was pretty adamant that Global Warming has taken a toll on this summers weather due to what he said was the hottest summer he's ever experienced. I begged to differ. Global Warming has the term "Global" for a reason, and it doesn't seem that it would affect Phoenix, while given Chicagoans an unseasonably cooler summer than normal. Since you do such an awesome job explain the causes of weather on WGN, I was curious if you could explain what may be the cause of these opposite weather conditions. If you aren't able to I understand, you're a busy man :) Either way, thanks for what you do for us.
-Manny Cruz