DOWNTOWN — It's been a warmer than average September for Chicago — and it doesn't look like the weather's going to change for a while.
September in Chicago has averaged 68.7 degrees, a "fairly significant" increase from a usual of 64.6 degrees, said Tom Kines, AccuWeather.com senior meteorologist. Those 4.1 degrees of difference are noticeable, Kines said, and if the rest of the month is this warm it'll be one of the top 25 warmest Septembers on record for the city.
Brian Kahn of Wxshift.com, a website that analyzes climate change, wrote that the warmer than usual September stretches across the country.
"If the month ended today, at least 26 cities across the country would have their warmest September on record," Kahn wrote."They range from El Paso, Texa, to Denver to Cheyenne to Boston."
New York "could set a record by a wide margin," Kahn wrote.
Chicago's warm weather is due to a jet stream remaining north of the city, Kines said.
"As long as that jet stream is north of you, it prevents the cold air from [coming in]," Kines said. "That's pretty much been the case this month. We've been on the warm side of it."
That warmer weather should continue until the end of the month, with days that reach into the 70s — though there will be days closer to the normal of 64.6 degrees, Kines said. And he doesn't expect there to be prolonged periods of chilly air for a while.
"As we look into October and even November, we expect temperatures to average out above normal during that time frame," Kines said, adding that temperatures were expected to be higher by a "couple or a few degrees."
That stands in contrast to last year's fall, which was characterized by the cold.
"Last November was a very chilly November. I think temperatures averaged about 6 degrees below" usual, Kines said. Chicago's "not looking at anything close to that for this November."
Of course, the city will see chillier weather as fall progresses and winter approaches.
"It's not going to be in the 70s forever," Kines said, laughing. "It'd be nice, but that's not gonna happen."
