Dear Tom,
I always look forward to sunny days and really appreciate seeing six suns in the forecast strip. How often does Chicago receive six or more consecutive sunny days?
— Sunny Jon Franzon
Dear Sunny Jon,
Forecasting six totally sunny days is one thing, but getting them to occur is another. Since 1967, Chicago has experienced six or more consecutive days with 100 percent sunshine only six times. The longest stretch of 100 percent sunshine is eight days, occurring three times: in May 1972, in June 1976 and in October 2011.
July 1916 was Chicago’s sunniest month ever, recording an incredible 95 percent of possible sunshine. There were 24 totally sunny days that month, including two extended sunny periods: the first of nine consecutive days from July 3-11, followed by 10 consecutive days from July 21-30.
