Chicago Heat Wave: Do High Temps Now Mean A Blistering Summer Later?

CHICAGO, IL — Oh, weather, your unpredictability continues to amaze. While Chicago reached a high temperature it hasn't seen in nearly five years, snow was falling in parts of California and Nevada on Monday. The city's high temperature Monday even outpaced well-known national and internation hot spots like San Diego, Las Vegas, Albuquerque, Mexico City, Acapulco and Rio de Janeiro, according to The Weather Channel.

Chicago hit a high of 95 degrees Monday, June 12, a temperature it hasn't reached since Sept. 10, 2013. (A 90-plus-degree day in September? Another point for weather's mercurial nature.) So far this year, the city has had four days in which the temperature has exceeded 90 degress, according to the National Weather Service. If it hits five days Tuesday — something that seems pretty likely — it will be the 15th time since 1932 that Chicago temperatures have been that high in a year for that many days, the NWS says. (Get Patch real-time email alerts for the latest news for Chicago — or your neighborhood. And iPhone users: Check out Patch's new app.)

Chicago wasn't alone, however, when it came to unseasonably hot temperatures Monday. This week's heat wave washed over the Midwest and the East Coast, too. Other cities joining Monday's 95-and-higher club included Albany, New York (95 degrees), Lansing, Michigan (95 degrees), Newark, New Jersey (97 degrees) and Washington, D.C. (95 degrees), according to The Weather Channel.

Are these sweltering conditions a preview of what's to come for the rest of the summer? Could be, according to the weather service. In those past 14 years, the summers were warmer than average, and they continued to have "a significant number of 90 degree days," the NWS says.

"Obviously, it is the weather and anything is possible, but if what's happened in years past comes to fruition this year, then we could be in for quite a bit more hot weather this summer," the weather service said.

In the short term, Chicagoans will need to cope with the blistering heat. While Monday will probably be the hottest day this week, temperatures will still be hovering in and around the 90s during the other days, according to the National Weather Service. Even forecasted thunderstorms Tuesday and Wednesday don't look to provide any relief for the Chicago area.

Because of the high temperatures forecasted for Tuesday, the Illinois Partners for Clean Air and the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency have issued an Air Pollution Action Day Alert. That alert means current weather conditions and air quality monitoring data indicate air pollution levels could be elevated and pose a potential health hazard to children, the elderly and individuals with pulmonary or respiratory disorders, such as asthma. People in those groups should take precautions during the alert. Chicago-area businesses and residents also are urged to reduce their contributions to air pollution.

Images via Shutterstock (left) and Patch archive

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