82 Degrees For The First Day Of Spring
UPDATED 03/20/12 12:41 p.m.
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Another warm-weather record has already been shattered this Tuesday, and temperatures may climb as high as the mid-80s in some far south suburban areas.
Such a string of 80-plus degree days in mid-March has never happened before, and according to CBS 2 Meteorologist Megan Glaros, experts say it is not likely ever to happen again in the lifetime of anyone living today.
As of 11:20 a.m., the record for the day had already been broken. It was 77 degrees at O'Hare International Airport by that time, beating a record of 76 that dates back to 1921.
In Kankakee and Gary, Ind., the temperature had climbed to 79.
A high-pressure system lurking to the east over upstate New York will keep temperatures downright hot for the next couple of days.
The forecast high for Chicago Tuesday is 82 degrees, but Glaros says some south suburban areas could approach the mid-80s.
The record for the day is 76 degrees, set in 1921.
On Wednesday, the forecast high is even higher – a subtropical 84 degrees. The overnight low drops only to 63.
Wednesday is also expected to break a record of 77, set in 1938.
A cold front will finally come into the picture Thursday, as the temperature drops to 74 and rain arrives. The highs drop to 64 for Friday, 63 for Saturday, 62 for Sunday and 65 for Monday.
But as we often point out, those figures are still well above average for this time of year. The average high is a mere 48.
