Chicago’s sixteenth 90° high and counting
90º is the benchmark definition of a hot day for most of us, and that was the temperature logged at Midway Airport yesterday. It was the city’s 16th 90° occurrence this summer. While not a record (that distinction belongs to the sweltering Dust Bowl summer of 1934, which had 24 90° days through July 12), it is significant in that it equals the combined number of hot days logged here in all of 2004 and 2003.
Clouds spinning out of the dissipating remnants of Hurricane Dennis, now a sprawling but weak area of low pressure over southern Illinois, have put a temporary hold on hot temperatures locally. That’s a consolation, but what we really need is the system’s rain. Unfortunately, metropolitan Chicago finds itself on the extreme northern flank of the
rain area and any showers that do find their way to the area will a tease but nothing more.