Chicago Hits 80-Degree Mark for the First Time in 2023

This week’s gorgeous weather in the Chicago area has given residents a taste of summer, and Wednesday marks the first time that the city has hit a key milestone.

According to the National Weather Service, the high temperature hit the 80-degree mark at both O’Hare International Airport and Rockford’s airport on Wednesday, marking the first time the milestone has been reached in 2023.

According to the National Weather Service, the Wednesday date for the first 80-degree day is earlier than last year’s mark of April 23, but is largely in line with what the area has experienced in the recent past.

Over the last 25 years, the city of Chicago has seen its first 80-degree day, on average, by April 16.

There have been a few notable exceptions during that time, including in 2012 when the city hit 80 degrees on March 14. At least three times in the last 25 years the city has had to wait until May to hit that milestone, including a date of May 7 back in 2015.

For those curious, the normal high temperature on April 12 over the last 30 years has been 57.6 degrees. The city won’t see average high temperatures of 80 degrees until around June 14, according to NWS data.

Temperatures are expected to stay on the summery-side through at least Saturday, but a cold front will bring showers and thunderstorms to the region in the evening, dropping temperatures back into the upper-40s and low-50s by Sunday.