Tuesday’s shirt-sleeve temperatures (73(degrees) at O’Hare and 74(degrees) at Midway–record high temperatures for the date at both locations) are a fading memory as the arrival of cold Canadian air reminds us that this is, after all, March. And yet an additional reality check: Wet snow (mixed with rain) put down a slushy layer in a few places Wednesday night–lingering as spits of flurries into today’s early morning hours.
And while Chicago’s temperatures were collapsing from the 50s into the 30s on Wednesday, pre-cold frontal readings surged downstate. Afternoon temperatures peaked at 78(degrees) at Champaign and Decatur, record highs for the date at both location. Below-normal readings persist for the remainder of the week, but a strong warm-up carries temperatures back well above normal by the middle of next week, along with the prospect of a wetter weather regime.
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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 meteorologists Steve Kahn, Richard Koeneman and Paul Dailey plus weather producer Bill Snyder contribute to this page.
