CHICAGO — It wasn't just unseasonably cold Sunday morning — it was the city's coldest May 15 in more than 120 years.
Temperatures during the pre-dawn hours plunged to 35 degrees, tying a record that was set in 1895, according to the National Weather service.
"We've just had this really unseasonably cold air mass passing over the entire area," said meteorologist Kevin Birk. "And once the cloud cover cleared off late in the day [Saturday], temperatures really just fell off."
Chicago has endured a significantly colder weekend than even Alaska, where meteorologists based in Fairbanks were eager to point out the discrepancy.
The low temperature on Saturday in Fairbanks, AK (59°F) was actually warmer than the high temperature in Chicago, IL (47°F). #akwx #ilwx
— NWS Fairbanks (@NWSFairbanks) May 15, 2016
The good news, Birk said, is that the weather is set to rebound in the coming week. Temperatures are forecast to reach the mid-60s by Monday, and they're expected to hover there for a few days after that.
That's still unusually cool for May in Chicago, Birk added, when average temperatures are usually around 70 degrees.
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