Another Record For February: 6 Consecutive Days In The 60s
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Chicago might not match the record for warmest Feb. 22 on record on Wednesday, but the city did set a different one: the longest stretch of 60-plus temperatures ever recorded in meteorological winter in the city.
Wednesday was the sixth day in a row the temperature reached at least 60 degrees, with the temperature at 66 and rising shortly before 2 p.m.
Chicago had never seen that many days in a row of 60-plus weather in meteorological winter, which runs from Dec. 1 through the end of February. The previous record was five days in a row in early December 1998.
The longest stretch of 60-plus weather in February before this winter was in 1976, when temperatures hit the 60s four days in a row in late February.
The all-time record for Feb. 22 in Chicago is 68, and while at the start of the day it appeared that mark easily would be topped, clouds and fog lingered longer than expected, keeping temperatures lower than forecast throughout the morning. So it remains to be seen if that record will fall.
The recent warm streak should come to an end on Thursday, as temperatures were expected to drop into the mid 40s overnight, and linger there all day Thursday.
Chicago could get one more taste of the 60s on Friday before real winter returns on Saturday, with temperatures in the low to mid 30s most of the day, and snow showers in the morning.