The second of four consecutive 80s is predicted Wednesday, a trend which keeps this month on track to finish among the warmest 10% of all Mays here since 1871. The warmest locations in the Chicago area may reach or modestly exceed 90(degrees) Wednesday, just as Gary, Indiana did Tuesday with its 91(degrees) high. A reading of 89(degrees) this afternoon at O’Hare would increase to 15 the number of 80(degrees)+ highs this year. That doubles the pace at which 80s occurred a year ago. Tuesday’s official 88(degrees) here was warmer than highs in Atlanta (85(degrees)), New Orleans (80(degrees)), Dallas/Ft. Worth (79(degrees)), Daytona Beach, Florida (83(degrees)) and Little Rock, Arkansas (81(degrees)).
An analysis of eight years with Mays within a 1(degrees) of this month’s 65.1(degrees) at Midway Airport indicates each logged far more than the 24 daytime 90s considered average since 1928. Though comparisons like this don’t offer absolute proof the coming summer will be hot, it certainly does seem to lean in that direction.
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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.
