Chicago area residents may wake up to snow on the ground Thursday, the latest reminder that winter weather’s grip is delaying so many spring rites of passage, from Major League Baseball games to bridge-lifting season on the Chicago River downtown – the parade of boats heading for slips offering the surest sign of warm weather ahead. And if those early morning walks to the bus or train stop weren’t convincing enough, forecasters say this is the second coldest start to April across Chicago in 130 years. Though next week is poised to bring dry weather and seasonal temperatures of about 50 degrees, it’s too early to predict whether Chicago has beaten winter yet. READ MORE
No, you’re not crazy. It has been the coldest April in more than 140 years. A year ago today, on April 19, 2017, it was 78 degrees and sunny, while Thursday’s expected high is 48 degrees, said National Weather Service meteorologist Trent Frey. As of Thursday, the average temperature for April is 38.3 degrees, slightly warmer than April 1874, the coldest on record at 37.6 degrees. “The average high (in April) for Detroit last year was 60 degrees, believe it or not,” Frey said. “If April ended tomorrow, it would be the second-coldest on record.” READ MORE