Dear Tom,
What is the date of the latest 80(degrees) temperature in Chicago?
Ralph Hoversten, Owatonna, Minn.
Dear Ralph,
On Nov. 1, 1950, the mercury soared to 81(degrees) at Midway Airport, the only time in the city’s weather history dating back to late 1870 that an 80(degrees) day had ever been recorded in November.
That day culminated a six-day late-season warm spell that began on Oct. 27 with a high of 76(degrees). After back-to-back highs of 77(degrees) on the 28th and 29th, the mercury jumped to 85(degrees) on the 30th, followed by the city’s warmest-ever Halloween when the high reached 84(degrees) on the 31st.
However, the city paid a price for that late-season warmth. The first snow flurries of the fall quickly followed on Nov. 3 and in stunning fashion, in the wake of a 1.8″ snowfall the city recorded its earliest subzero readings with lows of -1(degrees) on the 23rd and -2(degrees) on the 24th.
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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.
