Feb. 23--The cold is going to have to kick it down another level if it wants to break a record for February.
As of midnight, the average temperature for the month was 15.8 degrees, nearly 12 degrees below normal but still 1.2 degrees shy of the coldest February on record, 14.6 degrees in 1875. That puts us in third place, behind an average of 15.2 degrees in 1936.
Subzero cold returns Thursday night, and WGN-TV's Chicago Weather Center says that should be enough to get us to 14.9 degrees: Frigid but no cigar.
The National Weather Service is not making any projections for the month, noting there are six days left and too many uncertainties.
The forecast for the week has highs around 20 until Thursday, when temperatures start dropping to minus-2 by the evening. There's a chance of snow showers Tuesday, Election Day, and Thursday and maybe heavier snow Saturday night and Sunday.
The long-range AccuWeather forecast calls for below-average temperatures continuing through half of the first week in March.
Following is the forecast for the next six days by WGN-TV meteorologist Tom Skilling:
Tuesday: Mostly cloudy with some light snow likely in the afternoon and evening. Strong southwest winds gusting well over 30 mph boost temperatures into the middle to upper 20s before winds shift to the northwest and temperatures begin to slowly fall. Becoming partly cloudy and colder overnight.
Wednesday: Partly cloudy and cold -- highest temperatures in the middle to upper teens during the afternoon. Daytime lake effect snow showers near Lake Michigan continue overnight, diminishing toward morning. Cold overnight with subzero temperatures possible away from the lake.
Thursday: Mostly sunny and continued very cold, with afternoon highs in the middle teens -- nearly 25 degrees below normal for this date. Clear and cold overnight with subzero lows. Northwest winds.
Friday: Mostly sunny and not quite as cold. Afternoon highs nearly 20 degrees below normal for this date. Clear skies overnight. West to southwest winds.
Saturday: Increasing high and midlevel cloudiness and not as cold. Chance of snow later in the day and overnight. High temperatures in the middle to upper 20s. Southeast winds.
Sunday: Lowering clouds with snow or possibly rain. High temperatures in the lower or middle 30s. Precipitation changes over to all snow and turning colder overnight. Southerly winds shift to the northwest by evening.
