Wednesday’s temperatures soared to their highest levels in a week. Readings across many western suburbs topped the city’s official high of 57 degrees at O’Hare International Airport. Among the warmer readings: 62 at Elgin, 61 at Algonquin, West Chicago and Buffalo Grove and 60 at Aurora. Rockford’s 65-degree high qualified as northern Illinois’ warm spot on Wednesday while Lake Geneva, Wis., hit 63.
Easterly breezes continue off Lake Michigan an eighth and ninth day Thursday and Friday, but at slowly declining velocities. That should decrease the portion of the metropolitan area these winds are able to cool. While readings hover in the 50s near Lake Michigan on Thursday, inland highs will reach the 60s–and may well increase to the low 70s on Friday. The best news of all is that a slowdown in the approach of a windy, wet Saturday night/Sunday storm has allowed 70-degree highs to be extended into Saturday, especially away from the shoreline. A weekend 70 hasn’t occurred here since October.
Chicago’s only 70-degree high of 2009 occurred nearly a month ago on St. Patrick’s Day. Weather records suggest that makes this area overdue for another 70. Over the past 81 years, an average of four 70s have typically been on the books by April 16 at Midway Airport.
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Weather Report is prepared by the WGN-TV Weather Center, where Tom Skilling is chief meteorologist. His forecasts can be seen Monday through Friday on WGN News at 11:30 a.m., 5:30 p.m. and 9 p.m.
WGN-TV meteorologists Steve Kahn, Richard Koeneman and Paul Dailey plus weather producer Bill Snyder contribute to this page.
IN THE WEB EDITION: For updated weather news, forecasts by ZIP code and local radar images, go to chicagotribune.com/weather or wgntv.com
