Public Information Statement

Public Information Statement
Statement as of 6:40 PM CDT on March 17, 2012

...Historic and unprecedented March warmth to continue...

**records broken so far since March 14th by date**

*march 14th*
Chicago-ohare...record high of 81 (previous: 77 in 1995)
Rockford........record high of 79 (previous: 74 in 1995)

81 at Chicago was 3rd earliest 80 degree reading for Chicago.

Both Rockford and Chicago spent more than 6 hours at or above their
previous record highs for the day.

*March 15th*
Chicago-ohare...record high of 81 (previous: 74 in 1995)
Rockford........record high of 82 (previous: 73 in 1995)
record warm low of 54 (previous: 49 in 1945)

82 at Rockford was the earliest 80 degree reading on record. Previous
earliest 80 degree reading was 82 on March 23 1939.

Once again both Rockford and Chicago spent more than 6 hours at or
above their previous record highs for the day.

In Chicago...this was the 2nd consecutive 80 degree day breaking the
previous record earliest recorded back to back 80 degree days.
The previous earliest back to back 80 degree days on record in
Chicago was April 1st and 2nd 2010.

Chicago tied their record for most number of 80 degree days in March
at 2...with the only other March 1986 the only other year with 2 80
degree days in the month of March.

*March 16th*
Chicago-ohare...record high of 82 (previous: 78 in 1945)
Rockford........record high of 80 (previous: 75 in 1945)
record warm low of 48 (previous: 43 in 1946)

82 on March 16 at Chicago-ohare is the earliest it has been this
warm
in Chicago. Previously...the earliest 82 degree reading was not
until
March 27 1945.

The high temperature of 82 on March 16 in Chicago now ranks as the
5th warmest March day on record ever in Chicago. There have only
been
4 days warmer than 82 in Chicago during the month of March
including...88 (3/29/1986)...87 (3/31/81)...83 (3/31/1986 and
3/31/1978).

Chicago set a new record for most number of 80 degree days in a
March with 3...the previous record for greatest number of 80 degree
days during March was 2 set back in 1986.

March 16 was the 3rd consecutive day above 80...which shattered the
previous record for earliest in the season to have 3 consecutive 80
degree days. Previously the earliest Chicago has ever seen 3
consecutive 80 degree days was back on April 14-16 1976.

Rockford tied their record number of 80 degree days in March with 2.
The previous years which also had 2 80 degree days in March were
1907...1939...and 1986.

March 16 was the 2nd consecutive day 80 degree day in Rockford which
establishes a new record for earliest in the season to see back to
back 80 degree days. Previously the record earliest back to back 80
degree days in Rockford was March 23-24 1939.

*March 17th*
Chicago-0hare...record high of 82 (previous: 74 in 1894, 2009)
Rockford........record high of 82 (previous: 75 in 2009)

Chicago set a new record for most number of 80 degree days in a
March with 4.

March 17 was the 4th consecutive day above 80...which broke the
previous record for earliest in the season to have 4 consecutive 80
degree days. Previously the earliest Chicago has ever seen 4
consecutive 80 degree days was back on April 15-18 1896.

Rockford broke their record number of 80 degree days in March with
3. Previously the earliest Rockford has ever seen 3 consecutive 80
degree days was back on April 19-21 1915.

**Records likely to be broken/threatened through Tuesday March 20th**

*march 17th*
Chicago-0hare...record warm low: 49 (1894)

Rockford........record warm low: 45 (2003)

*march 18th*
Chicago-ohare...record high: 74 (1903, 1918, 1969)
record warm low: 59 (1894)

Rockford........record high: 73 (1945)
record warm low: 42 (1968)

*march 19th*
Chicago-ohare...record high: 78 (1921)
record warm low: 59 (1903)

Rockford........record high: 78 (1921)
record warm low: 54 (1945)

*march 20th*
Chicago-ohare...record high: 76 (1921)
record warm low: 53 (1918)

Rockford........record high: 79 (1921)
record warm low: 53 (1921)

The all time record high for the month of March in Chicago is 88
degrees set back on March 29 1986. For Rockford the all time record
high for the month of March is 85 also set back on March 29 1986.

Chicago and Rockford have now both broken high temperature records
4 days in a row and will likely break record highs for 5 days in a
row. There is even the potential they could tie or break record
highs for 6 or 7 days in a row depending on how warm temperatures
get on Monday and Tuesday. It is extraordinarily rare for climate
locations with 100+ year long periods of records to break records
day after day after day...though it is very difficult to precisely
quantify just how rare it is because as the period of record grows
the likelihood of seeing so many consecutive record breaking days
decreases.

*Regarding 80 degree temperatures in march*
in Chicago...prior to this year there had only been 10 days in March
with highs in the 80s...which means on average Chicago only sees an
80 degree high in March once about every 14 years. Already this
month there have been 3 days above 80 with additional 80 degree
highs possible the next few days. Including the 3 days above 80 this
March...there have now been a total of 13 March days above 80 in
Chicago which equates to about one third of one percent of all March
days have been in the 80s in Chicago.

The last time Chicago saw an 80 degree temperature during the
month of March (prior to this year) was over 22 years ago back on
March 12 1990 when the high temperature was 81.

In Rockford...prior to this month there had been a total of 12 days
in the 80s in March dating back to 1906...which means Rockford
averages an 80 degree day in March approximately once every 11
years. In Rockford...only about 4 tenths of one percent of March
days have high temperatures in the 80s.

Prior to this year...the last time Rockford had an 80 degree day
in March was back on March 26 2007 when the high temperature was 80.

A final word:
in Chicago...the warmest March on record occurred in 1910 and then
in 1945...which both averaged 48.6 degrees. Through March 15th...the
average monthly temperature for March 2012 for Chicago-ohare through
March 16th was 48.0.

In Rockford...the warmest March on record was in 1945...with an
average temperature of 48.2. Through March 16th...the average monthly
temperature for March 2012 was 45.8 degrees.

At the current pace...it is likely that Chicago and Rockford will
not only break...but shatter their current record warmest Marches.