DOWNTOWN — The city's hot weather broke another record on Friday — and it's possible more records will be broken this weekend.
The week has seen temperatures hovering in the 90s, about 20 degrees warmer than the 73-degree weather that's normal for this time of year, said Mark Ratzer, a National Weather Service meteorologist. Records for high temperatures were broken on Wednesday (92 degrees) and Thursday (94 degrees).
That makes Friday the third record-breaking day in a row: The record for Sept. 22 was 92 degrees, and Friday had hit 93 degrees by 12:40 p.m.
As of 12:40pm CDT, #Chicago-O'Hare reached 93°, breaking previous record high for 9/22 from 1956. 3rd straight record high for CHI. #ilwx
— NWS Chicago (@NWSChicago) September 22, 2017
Saturday's record high temperature is 91 degrees, and the city will be "very close" to breaking that, as well, Ratzer said. Sunday's record high is 91 degrees, and Ratzer said the city will be "near that, but maybe just fall short of it."
"We'll be close [to breaking records], within a degree or 2 probably, for the next couple days here," Ratzer said.
The heat's a result of warm air coming up from the South, Ratzer said. Don't expect it to stay around much longer. Temperatures are expected to hang around the 80s early next week before dipping to a more seasonable 73 by Wednesday.
The warm stretch "does occasionally happen. We've had some periods here late in the season where we've had stretches of 90-degree weather. Not a lot of them. You'd have to go back to 1971" for the last one, Ratzer said.
"Not that it never happens, but it's relatively rare," Ratzer said.
Chicago's official high today of 94F, broke the previous record of 92 from 1970. Was also tied for 2nd hottest temp ever for so late in year
— NWS Chicago (@NWSChicago) September 21, 2017
