We Just Had the Hottest Summer On Record

Well, it’s 2020, so this just kind of makes sense.

We just had the hottest summer in the history of recorded weather (149 years)

BREAKING—despite cooler weather the remainder of the month, it’s all but certain this will become the hottest summer on record in #Chicago in nearly 150 yrs of weather records dating back to 1871! #ilwx #INwx pic.twitter.com/RoMyGE83Mc

— Bill Snyder (@billyweather) August 29, 2020

Thanks to WGN Weather producer Bill Snyder for the fantastic news.

…there have been 31 days at or above 90 degrees at O’Hare this year to date, while the “normal” number of 90-deg or higher temps in a year here is just 17, meaning we recorded 182 percent as many 90s as normal.

This year’s tally of 31 ties with 1959 for the 12th most 90s in any year since 1871. The greatest number of 90-degree or higher temperatures occurred in hot, dry 1988, which produced 47 total 90s and seven days at or above 100-degrees.

And if you have been thinking, “Man…it sure has been dry,” well, you’ve been spot on!

It’s also been desperately dry. The period of July 1 through August 31 has been the driest stretch since 1944. There are a couple chances for seeing at least some rain this week, including this evening, but unfortunately it will hardly put a dent in our drought.