Dear Tom,
What is Chicago's longest string of daily lows at 10 degrees below zero or lower? What about zero or lower? And what is our longest string of highs 90 degrees or higher? What about 100 or higher?
Lou Liebovich, Hoffman Estates
Dear Lou,
Computer scans of three data sets -- Chicago's official temperatures (1871-2009) and data from Midway Airport (1928-2009) and O'Hare International Airport (1959-2009) --provide the answers. Chicago's longest string of days with low temperatures of 10 degrees below zero or lower is 7 days (Jan. 14 to 20, 1994); zero or lower: 10 days (Jan. 4 to 13, 1912, and Jan. 2 to 11, 1979); highs at or above 90 degrees: 12 days (July 6 to 17, 1936). That 90-degree string also included the city's longest string at or above 100 degrees: a sweltering 8 days (July 7 to 14, 1936.
What is Chicago's longest string of daily lows at 10 degrees below zero or lower? What about zero or lower? And what is our longest string of highs 90 degrees or higher? What about 100 or higher?
Lou Liebovich, Hoffman Estates
Dear Lou,
Computer scans of three data sets -- Chicago's official temperatures (1871-2009) and data from Midway Airport (1928-2009) and O'Hare International Airport (1959-2009) --provide the answers. Chicago's longest string of days with low temperatures of 10 degrees below zero or lower is 7 days (Jan. 14 to 20, 1994); zero or lower: 10 days (Jan. 4 to 13, 1912, and Jan. 2 to 11, 1979); highs at or above 90 degrees: 12 days (July 6 to 17, 1936). That 90-degree string also included the city's longest string at or above 100 degrees: a sweltering 8 days (July 7 to 14, 1936.
