Chicago set a new record high Wednesday afternoon and was on course to break Thursday’s record too as a high wind warning was issued for the area overnight, with gusts as strong as 75 mph.
Shortly after 2 p.m., the temperature at O’Hare International Airport 65 degree, just above the previous record of 64 set in 1971, according to the National Weather Service.
Temperatures were expected to remain in the 60s into the night, and a weather service meteorologist said Chicago could break Thursday’s record. “There’s a decent possibility of it falling at midnight,” said Kevin Donofrio.
The record high for Thursday’s date is 60 set in 1984. The high will be down in the 30s by the weekend.
A high wind warning has been issued for the Chicago area Wednesday night and Thursday morning, with gusts as high as 75 mph. The warning for Chicago and the collar counties lasts from 6 p.m. Wednesday until 9 a.m. Thursday.
The weather service said the most damaging winds are likely to hit between 9 p.m. and 1 a.m. as thunderstorms from the west cross into Illinois, with “70 to 75 mph gusts a possibility,” said meteorologist Kevin Donofrio.
However, he said “there’s no concern about tornadoes in the Chicago area.”
A major weather system is strengthening today as it tracks from the western to central U.S. Wind is the major story, with nearly half the states having an NWS wind headline (many Warnings for 60+ mph gusts). This is combined with snow/blowing snow in some locales too. #ILwx #INwx pic.twitter.com/OKylA65AjK
— NWS Chicago (@NWSChicago) December 15, 2021
