Past 5 months Illinois’ 7th warmest since 1895
Warmer than normal temperatures have had an incredible run here. October, which ended at midnight, was the fifth consecutive month to produce a surplus, finishing more than 3° above normal. By almost any measure, the persistence and magnitude of the warmth places the current spell among the most impressive on the books. Of the 153 days since June 1 in Chicago, 107—or 70% of them—have posted surpluses. The period from June 1 through Oct. 31 averaged 69.7° in the city—3° above the long term average here since 1871. And, Chicago isn’t alone. Illinois’ state climatologist Dr. Jim Angel reports statewide temperatures over the same period rank 7th warmest of 110 comparable periods on record since 1895.
Trick or treaters faced the area’s wettest Halloween in 10 years Monday night, even though rainfall at Midway Airport had only reached 0.17” by late evening. The rain failed to prevent October from posting the 8th consecutive monthly rain deficit in a row.