The 70-degree temperature Saturday didn’t merely beat the previous record for warmest Feb. 18, it shattered the 1981 record of 62 degrees – without even breaking a sweat.
The same couldn’t be said for Chicagoans.
Across the city, the sporty ran, biked and rollerbladed while shopping fanatics flooded Michigan Avenue and foodies returned to summer seating at the city’s sidewalk cafes. Others swim-suited up and took to sunbathing on the 49th day of 2017, a phrase so ridiculous for normally frigid February that it seemed easier to believe that half the city signed up for a polar plunge.
And if you think humans were happy, then you haven’t seen pictures of the downright giddy giraffes of Brookfield Zoo.
“The herd normally does not have access to its outdoor habitat until mid-April. However with the mild temperatures, the nearly 20,000 guests who visited the zoo (Saturday) were able to see the giraffes stretch their legs earlier than in past years,” said Chicago Zoological Society spokeswoman Sondra Katzen.
For comparison, Katzen checked attendance for the same weekend in 2016 and said there were 831 guests. Attendance Saturday was more than 24 times higher than the previous year.
“In addition to the nice weather we were free today, but I think even if there was an admission charge, we still would’ve been more crowded,” she said.
There are four giraffes at Brookfield, Katzen said, noting the younger animals really kicked up their hooves. If the temperature drops below 45 degrees, however, the outdoor access will have to be restricted again.
Meteorologist Mark Ratzer of the National Weather Service’s Chicago office said Saturday was only the fourth time the temperature has hit 70 degrees in February, on any day of the month, since 1871. The other days were Feb. 27, 1976: 75 degrees; Feb. 25, 2000: 72 degrees and Feb. 11, 1999: 70 degrees.
A record also was broken Friday, when the record of 60 degrees, set in 1880, was broken by a 67 degree day this year. Ratzer said the unseasonably warm weather both days can be attributed to the position of the jet stream – the same thing that’s causing storms in California, he said. Downstream there is higher pressure, which is pulling warmer air north, he said.
“We’re going to be pretty mild here for most of this coming week,” he said.
Sunday morning likely will be the day with the coldest temps along the lake, as winds will keep eastern Lake and Cook counties down in the 40s. But farther inland, temperatures should stay in the low- to mid-60s, Ratzer said. Other than another drop Thursday with temperatures in the upper 40s possible, it looks like a week of mostly 60 degree temps, he said.
The record high temperatures for Chicago for Sunday (65 degrees), Monday (64 degrees) and Tuesday (67 degrees) all were set in 1930 and aren’t expected to be broken this year.
“It should be back to reality next Saturday, but most of the week it will be well above average,” Ratzer said.
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