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A Cool, Cool Summer: Below-Average Temps Expected to Continue Through Fall

By  Jackie Kostek and Tanveer Ali | August 19, 2014 7:22am 

 Chicagoans vent about the cool summer temperatures.
Chicagoans vent about the cool summer temperatures.
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DNAinfo/Jackie Kostek

WICKER PARK— After one of the coldest winters on record, many Chicagoans hoped the summer would help them sweat away the memories of snow and brutal cold. So far, however, things have been pretty mild — and it's not just in your head.

Ricky Castro, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service, said Chicagoans are "absolutely right" to feel the summer is a bit on the cool side.

"July was well below normal," Castro said. "It was actually one of the coolest Julys in recent times."

Watch Chicagoans discuss their feelings about the summer so far here:

According to Accuweather data, the average temperature last month was 70.4 degrees, which is more than three degrees cooler than the average July temperature from the last 30 years.

Castro said "believe it or not," June was actually a couple degrees warmer than average, but "there just haven't been many really hot days."

An average Chicago summer has 14 or 15 90-degree days, Castro said. This summer, there have been three (recorded at O'Hare).

Accuweather meteorologist Tom Kines said the cooler temperatures have to do with the placement of the jet stream — which is up around 15,000 feet and guides weather systems around the country. Kines said the jet stream separates the cooler air masses, typically up across Canada, from the warmer air masses in the South.

"When the jet stream gets below Chicago, it allows the cooler air to come in," Kines said. "More times than not this summer, the jet stream has been very close to us or it's been to our south, which has allowed the cooler air to rule."

Kines said, based on the weather patterns, Chicago residents should expect a cooler-than-average fall.

But don't freak out yet.

"That doesn't mean the entire months of September, October and November are going to be chilly," said Kines. "There's going to be some warm spells in there."

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