Chicago has sweltered through some intensely hot springs and early summer periods with the mercury repeatedly soaring into the 90s. Many of these early season heat episodes occurred during the pre-air conditioning days of the notoriously hot summers the city endured during the 1930s and 1950s. And in almost all cases, the years with the greatest number of pre-July 90s experienced an equal or greater number of 90(degrees)-plus days during the remainder of the summer, and many of them also recorded days reaching 100(degrees) or higher.
2004: Only one day of 90(degrees) or higher to date
In recent years, hot weather has not gained a foothold in Chicago until July--leaving the late spring and early summer period relatively free from 90(degrees) heat. Even in 1995, when the killer July heat wave gripped the city, only eight days of 90(degrees) or higher had been recorded through the end of June. Sixteen years have elapsed following the hot, drought summer of 1988 (when the city recorded 17 90(degrees)-plus days in May and June) since Chicago has been baked with significant early season heat. This summer has followed the recent early season cool trends, recording only one 90(degrees) day to date--and no prospects for any heat are in the foreseeable future.