CBS — Usually, late August is time a when Chicagoans are thinking of hitting the beaches or lounging in the sidewalk cafes one last time, but this year, the temperatures have seemed more appropriate for Halloween.
The record low for Aug. 31 is 47 degrees, set in 1872. As of 5 a.m. Monday, the nippy readings were close, and in some areas even lower.
CBS 2′s Ed Curran reported that at O’Hare International Airport, it was 50 degrees at 5 a.m. It was 49 at Midway International Airport, 48 in Waukegan, and a mere 41 degrees in Aurora.
Skies were clear across most of the Midwest Monday morning, but the sun will do little to warm the temperatures.
Overall in Chicago, this August has hardly been what one would call the dog days of summer. There was only one weekend where the temperatures reached the 90s. On the weekend of Aug. 8 and 9, temperatures climbed into the mid-90s.
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Global cooling is a good thing, it saves lives. The last time Chicago went through a major heat wave, almost 600 people (mostly senior citizens) died as a result of heat and dehydration. They were too frail and frightened to leave their apartments and seek help. This happened over a five day period in the summer of 1995. Tragic results for families and victims.