30 Years Ago Today: Chicago Sets Record For Cold At -27°F
CHICAGO (CBS) -- If you were in Chicago 30 years ago today, there's a good chance you were either hiding under your blankets, or bundled up in more layers of clothing than Randy from "A Christmas Story."
On Jan. 20, 1985, Chicago set a record for cold when the temperature hit 27 degrees below zero. No, we're not talking about the wind chill – which was recorded at an even more ridiculously bone-chilling 77 below – we're talking about the actual air temperature. Of course, wind chill calculations have changed a bit since then, so that 77 below zero wind chill would be 57 below by today's standards.
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To put things in perspective, this time last year, in the midst of one of the coldest and snowiest winters overall in Chicago, the temperature never dipped below 13 degrees. In fact, all of last winter, it never got colder than 16 below zero in Chicago.
Compared to those frigid conditions, this week is virtually tropical.
The coldest it got on Monday was 25 degrees shortly before 6 a.m., and the temperature reached a balmy high of 40.
The rest of the week will be more of the same, with highs ranging from 32 to 39 through Saturday, and the lowest expected temperature at 25 sometime Thursday night.
