It’s May 22, and I’m back from my morning run. Dressed in long running pants, a long-sleeve sweatshirt, and shoes soggy from the cold rain. It’s 49 degrees, and yet June is only one week away. With a winter like ours, it’s not unreasonable to be thankful it’s rain and not snow.
I’ll admit that I’m a warm-weather person, but I think we’ve all noticed this year’s chill.
From the 50 degrees below zero temperatures in January, to the snowy April weekends, to May’s mornings that were shivery more often than not, it’s easy to wonder: is the Chicagoland area ever going to experience warm weather? Is spring a mere specter of the good old days?
While I remember a few warmer days in April, I’m sure we can all agree that May dashed all hope for warmth.
I remember listening to one of the early May Chicago Cubs games on the radio; the announcers couldn’t believe the game was even continuing in the rainy, 40-degree temps. They suggested that if everyone in attendance is dressed for a “Mount Everest ascent,” it probably isn’t baseball weather.
Even worse, when my mom and I actually went to a Cubs game on Mother’s Day weekend this year, we spent 12 innings (we couldn’t make it through the wintry 15 innings that they played) shivering in the stadium seats, bracing against cold rain in our winter coats and gloves. We had to rely on the body heat of the fans around us to stay warm. Some people around us were wearing snow boots. Before the seventh inning stretch, Wrigley Field ran out of hot chocolate.
So, will it ever be safe to put away the scarves?
The good news is that relocating to the equator might not be necessary. According to the Farmer’s Almanac, which suggested that our spring would be cold and wet, we are headed toward some sunnier days. (That’s right, some.) In fact, the Almanac says that overall, our summer will be cooler and drier than average. Where will we catch a break?
“The hottest periods will be in late May, late June, early July, and mid-August” the website predicts. But hottest might not actually mean “hot.”
In addition, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the summer predictions aren’t so certain for Chicago. Our Northern Illinois area falls into a category of locations that has an equal chance of being above, below, or normal for temperature range from July through September and slightly above average for precipitation.
But who can say for sure? “Weather” or not we get warmth this season remains to be seen.
