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Chicago’s beaches opened Friday to a raw, biting, windy, cold gray start, attracting joggers in track suits, cyclists with face masks and lifeguards with nothing to do.
“We tried to take care of our own people,” said North Avenue Beach captain Johnny Barbosa, whose 23 lifeguards were on a strict rotation to keep them warm in the gusty, 50-degree weather.
The emptiness won’t last.
Temperatures in Chicago for the Memorial Day weekend are expected to reach the 70s on Saturday and into the 80s on Sunday and Monday.
“It’s winter straight into summer,” said Bike Chicago manager Josh Squire, who was interviewing shivering job applicants at the North Avenue Beach bike-rental shop Friday. “Memorial Day Weekend, I’ve learned not to build expectations.”
