Monday breaks record-high temperatures for fourth day in a row
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SUN-TIMES MEDIA WIRE - Chicago’s streak of unseasonably warm weather broke record-high temperatures for the fourth consecutive day Monday.
As of 3:59 p.m. Monday, the temperature had reached 70 degrees at O’Hare International Airport, according to the National Weather Service. The previous record high for Feb. 20 in Chicago was 64 degrees in 1930.
Monday also marked the fifth time since 1871 that Chicago has reached 70 degrees in February, the weather service said. Chicago previously reached 70 degrees on Saturday; 72 degrees on Feb. 25, 2000; 70 degrees on Feb. 11, 1999; and 75 degrees on Feb. 27, 1976.
On Sunday, temperatures reached a high of 69 degrees at 1:56 p.m. at O’Hare, according to the weather service. The previous record high for Feb. 19 was 65 degrees in 1930.
Temperatures on Saturday reached 70 degrees, breaking the previous record high of 62 degrees that was set on Feb. 18, 1981.
Friday’s pleasant weather broke a record set more than a century earlier when the high reached 67 degrees, the weather service said. The previous record of 60 degrees was set on Feb. 17, 1880.
The last time Chicago saw four consecutive February days of 60-plus degree temperatures was Feb. 24-27 in 1976, according to the weather service.
The spring-like weather was expected to last through much of the week, according to the weather service. Chicago could see near-record highs in the 60s on Tuesday, and another record day of warmth in the low 70s is possible Wednesday. A severe thunderstorm was expected to hit the city Friday.