Dear Tom,
I remember a cold 4th of July in Chicago in the 1960s. We were at a picnic and everyone was huddled in blankets. What year was that?
— Vanessa Sandler
Dear Vanessa,
The date was July 4, 1967, and the high in Chicago was an unseasonably chilly 64 degrees, just two degrees from the holiday’s 62-degree record lowest maximum established in 1920. The day was overcast with a brisk north wind adding to the chill. Normally packed beaches and pools were all but deserted and many parties were moved indoors. The next day was just as chilly with a high of 65, a reading that did establish a record daytime chill for July 5. The city has not experienced a colder 4th of July since then, though it was almost as cool in 1997, when the mercury topped out at 66.
In contrast, the city’s hottest July 4 took place in 1911 when the temperature soared to 102 degrees.
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