Chicago’s warm May pales compared to record Russian heat
The books close on Chicago’s warmest May in 9 years Thursday night with the month posting a near 5° surplus. May’s daytime highs here have included six afternoon temperatures of 88° or higher—the greatest number of such readings in any May over the past 16 years. But, warm as it’s been here, temperatures pale in comparison to a record-breaking early season heat wave which has been underway the better part of the past week over a huge swath of Russia. The region between the Caspian and Black Seas registered temps just shy of 100° Wednesday while to the north in sections of Moscow, readings soared to 94°, easily surpassing May’s previous all time record of 89° set in 1891. The city is well on its way to the first set of five consecutive 90° temps in May since 1879. Moscow’s “normal” high this time of year is 68°.
A new wave of flooding rains swamped the Plains and western Midwest Wednesday—including 3.78” at Worthington, Minn.
---By Tom Skilling, WGN-TV Chief Meteorologist