One of my friends, Nature Nerd Naomi, reported that she saw frost on her roof this morning. She lives about 40 km away. And Chicago Tribune meteorologist Tom Skilling says yesterday was the coldest September 14th in 37 years:
Temperatures failed to reach 16°C
at the city's official O'Hare observation site Thursday, topping out at 14.4°C
instead. It's the coolest reading which has occurred there since late May and a temperature which equals the normal high on Oct. 28. But even more significantly, a review of weather records here indicates the reading was the chilliest to occur so early in the "meteorological" fall season in the 37 years since 1974.
Thursday isn't likely to be much warmer. Though readings are likely to creep into [around] 17°C
at the area's warmer observation sites, the predicted O'Hare high of 14°C
is close to the record low Sept. 15 maximum of 13°C
set in 1993.
So just a few days ago, as I turned my air conditioner on to cool down from 30°C heat, I hoped for an early fall. But wow, I didn't expect temperatures to plunge so quickly.
Of course, on Tuesday when I'm back in San Antonio and it's 36°C, I'll be missing the cooler weather again.