Dear Tom,
I was born in the fall of 1955 and my mother never ceases to remind me that summer was Chicago’s hottest on record. Is she correct?
Toni Fisher
Joliet, Ill.
Dear Toni,
She is absolutely correct. To this day, the summer of 1955 remains Chicago’s hottest summer with the three month meteorological summer period of June, July and August averaging 76.4 (degrees), edging out the summer of 1995 by a mere .1 (degrees). The summer of 1955 totaled 46 days in which the mercury reached at least 90 (degrees), surpassed only by the city’s 47 day total in the hot, drought summer of 1988. The core of the summer’s heat was during July and August with a two month total of 36 days in the 90s, including a record-tying 11 consecutive days from July 26-August 5. Also, during that year the heat persisted well into September, a month with six 90 (degree) days, including a five day string from September 15-19.
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Tom Skilling is chief meteorologist at WGN-TV. His forecasts can be seen Monday through Friday on WGN-TV News at noon and 9 p.m.
Write to: ASK TOM WHY, 2501 Bradley Pl., Chicago, IL 60618 or asktomwhy@wgntv.com (Mail volume precludes personal response.)
WGN-TV meteorologists Steve Kahn, Richard Koeneman and Paul Dailey plus weather producer Bill Snyder contribute to this page.
