

Ask Tom Why

July 08, 2004|By Tom Skilling

Dear Tom,

What summer is considered the coldest in Chicago's history?

Rich Pokorski Morton Grove, Ill.

Dear Rich,

When ranking Chicago's previous 133 summers (June, July and August) from coolest to warmest, the honors for the city's chilliest goes to the Summer of 1875. That summer's average temperature of 66.6 (degrees) was about 4.5 (degrees) below normal, and to this day remains Chicago's only summer without a 90 (degree) day. Analyzing the high temperatures, the 92 days of summer in 1875 featured only 21 in the 80s, 49 in the 70s, 17 in the 60s and 5 in the 50s.

One example of this summer's coolness was the fact the mercury never topped 66 (degrees) from July 31-August 2. Not only was this summer cool, but it was rather cloudy and wet. At least some rain fell on 42 days, and the 3 month rainfall total of 15.64" made it the city's ninth wettest summer on record.



