Dear Tom,
My friends don’t believe me when I tell them about a mid-November Bears game that I went to in the early 1970s with the temperature in the 70s. Can you prove me right?
— Alan Gebel
Dear Alan,
The date was Sunday, Nov. 14, 1971, and the high temperature soared to a record 78 degrees. That reading remains the city’s highest temperature for so late in the year. The game was played at Soldier Field on an afternoon highlighted by bright sunshine and gusty south winds.
That balmy Sunday was just the first day of an extended late-season warm spell. High temperatures reached the upper 60s or lower 70s for the next four days, establishing several more records.
To top off the perfect weather day, the Bears, led by quarterback Bobby Douglass, defeated the Washington Redskins 16-15. They came from behind to win the game in the fourth quarter on a 40-yard touchdown run by running back Cyril Pinder.
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Write to: ASK TOM WHY, 2501 Bradley Pl., Chicago, IL 60618 or: asktomwhy@wgntv.com
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