Dear Tom,
I suspect we have reached 70(degrees) in every month from February through November. Can you confirm that?
Tom O’Connell, Belvidere, Ill.
Dear Tom,
Chicago’s temperatures have climbed to 70(degrees) or higher on 17,509 days in the period from Jan. 1, 1871, through Dec. 31, 2005–a period encompassing 49,308 days –but never in January. In 135 years of official weather records, that mid-winter month is the only month during which Chicago’s temperatures have failed to register 70(degrees). The city’s highest January temperature: 67(degrees) (Jan. 25, 1950).
But that’s not to say a 70(degrees) day is a frequent occurrence in other winter months around here. In fact, it has happened only twice in December (71(degrees) on Dec. 3, 1970, and 71(degrees) on the 2nd in 1982–and a few inches of snow also fell in both of those Decembers). Only three February days have ever recorded a 70(degrees) day: 75(degrees) on Feb. 27, 1976; 70(degrees) on the 11th in 1999 and 72(degrees) on Feb. 25, 2000.
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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.
