Dear Tom,
Chicago's normal daytime high has been stuck at 31 degrees for some time now. I thought it went down to 28 for the normal high at this time of year?
--Robert Calhoun
Dear Robert,
You are correct to remark that Chicago's normal daily high temperature has been at 31 degrees for some time -- since Jan. 2, to be exact, and it will remain there through Jan. 29. After Sunday, the normal daily high goes to 32 degrees and begins a gradual ascent to a peak of 85 degrees during the second week of July. Those normals are derived from a smoothed average of temperatures as recorded at O'Hare International Airport during the 30-year period of 1981-2010. The previous normal daily highs, from 1971-2000, ranged from 29 degrees to 84. Reflecting an ongoing warming trend, Chicago's new daily normals are generally 1 or 2 degrees higher than the previous normals.
Chicago's normal daytime high has been stuck at 31 degrees for some time now. I thought it went down to 28 for the normal high at this time of year?
--Robert Calhoun
Dear Robert,
You are correct to remark that Chicago's normal daily high temperature has been at 31 degrees for some time -- since Jan. 2, to be exact, and it will remain there through Jan. 29. After Sunday, the normal daily high goes to 32 degrees and begins a gradual ascent to a peak of 85 degrees during the second week of July. Those normals are derived from a smoothed average of temperatures as recorded at O'Hare International Airport during the 30-year period of 1981-2010. The previous normal daily highs, from 1971-2000, ranged from 29 degrees to 84. Reflecting an ongoing warming trend, Chicago's new daily normals are generally 1 or 2 degrees higher than the previous normals.
