Science & Nature
Chicago Is on Track to Break the Record for Warmest Year, Even if December Is Freezing
(Chris Jensen / iStock)
Chicagoans just shivered through one of the coldest Thanksgivings in a decade, but despite the frigid end to the month, November 2024 was still nearly 5 degrees warmer than normal.
In fact, the entire year is on track to become the warmest since recordkeeping began in 1872, according to the National Weather Service Chicago office.
Through November, Chicago had an average temperature of 57°F for the year, topping the previous record of 56.4°F (through November) set back in 1921.
(National Weather Service Chicago)
The record for warmest year is 54.5°F, set in 2012. To beat that mark, this December will just have to notch an average temperature of at least 27.1°F, which seems likely. The typical average temperature for Chicago in December is 30.5°F.
So, to recap, even if December winds up being colder than normal, 2024 still has a good shot at breaking the record for warmest year in Chicago.
The weather service also summarized meteorological fall — September, October, November — in Chicago. It wound up the third warmest on record, with temperatures close to 5 degrees above normal. Precipitation, though, was nearly 3 inches below normal.
(National Weather Service Chicago)
Some additional fall highlights:
— November 2024 was the ninth warmest on record, with a mean average temperature for the month of 46.2 degrees.
— Even the lows were high, with 63 degrees on Nov. 4 setting a record daily warmest low temperature.
— September tied the record for second warmest on record, with a mean average temperature of 70.6 degrees.
— October tied for the ninth warmest.
— A record daily high temperature of 82 degrees was set on October 29.
Contact Patty Wetli: @pattywetli | (773) 509-5623 | [email protected]
