As midsummer approaches, all of the lakes are reporting above-normal water temperatures for another year. This trend has been in place more or less since the mild El Nio winter of 1997-98, and was especially apparent last winter. Using 70(degrees) as the threshold, this also makes the Chicago beaches warm enough for swimming by the first of July. Low lake levels–another multiyear trend–still hamper the boating community, especially in lakes Michigan and Huron.
Source: Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory
WGN-TV/Dennis Haller, Molly Ragsdale and Nicholas Ferreri
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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.
WGN-TV meteorologist Dennis Haller contributed to this page.
