...CASES OF SPRING FEVER ON THE RISE ALONG WITH THE TEMPERATURES...

TEMPERATURES OFFICIALLY CRACKED THE 40 DEGREE MARK AT BOTH CHICAGO
AND ROCKFORD THIS AFTERNOON. THROUGH 4 PM...THE HIGH IN ROCKFORD
HAS BEEN 44 DEGREES AND OFFICIALLY AT CHICAGO OHARE INTERNATIONAL
AIRPORT THE HIGH HAS BEEN 45 DEGREES. TODAYS 40 DEGREE HIGH
TEMPERATURES PUT AN END TO AN UNUSUALLY LONG STREAK OF CONSECUTIVE DAYS
WITH TEMPERATURES FAILING TO REACH THE 40 DEGREE MARK.

THE LAST TIME THE MERCURY CLIMBED ABOVE 40 DEGREES IN CHICAGO WAS
ON JANUARY 1ST...SO TODAY CAPPED OFF A STREAK OF 42 CONSECUTIVE
DAYS BELOW 40 DEGREES. THIS IS THE 20TH LONGEST STREAK EVER IN
CHICAGO OF SUB-40 DEGREE TEMPERATURES. IN FACT...ONLY TWICE IN THE
PAST 25 YEARS HAS THERE BEEN A STREAK LONGER...45 DAYS IN JAN/FEB
OF 2004 AND 61 DAYS IN DEC/JAN OF 2000/2001. THE LONGEST STREAK
EVER OF SUB 40 DEGREE DAYS IN CHICAGO WAS 69 DAYS FROM DEC 1981
THROUGH FEB 1982.

IN ROCKFORD...THE LAST TIME THE MERCURY CLIMBED TO 40 DEGREES WAS
ON DECEMBER 31ST...SO TODAY CAPPED OFF A STREAK OF 43 CONSECUTIVE
DAYS BELOW 40 DEGREES. THIS IS THE 22ND LONGEST SUCH STREAK IN
ROCKFORD HISTORY. ONLY ONCE IN THE PAST 25 YEARS HAS THERE BEEN A
LONGER STREAK AND THAT WAS BACK IN DEC-FEB 2000-2001 WHEN ROCKFORD
WENT 71 DAYS WITHOUT REACHING 40 DEGREES. THE LONGEST STRETCH OF
CONSECUTIVE DAYS FAILING TO REACH 40 DEGREES WAS BACK IN DEC-MAR
1978-1979 WHEN ROCKFORD WENT 104 DAYS WITHOUT HITTING 40.

INTERESTINGLY...SO FAR THIS WINTER SEASON CHICAGO HAS SEEN 55 DAYS
WITH HIGH TEMPERATURES BELOW FREEZING. ON AVERAGE...CHICAGO WILL
SEE AROUND 42 DAYS WITH HIGHS BELOW FREEZING DURING A WINTER
SEASON. IN ROCKFORD...THERE HAVE ALSO BEEN 55 DAYS WITH HIGHS
BELOW FREEZING. IN ROCKFORD...THE AVERAGE NUMBER OF SUB-FREEZING
DAYS IS 46 FOR AN ENTIRE WINTER SEASON. WITH ANOTHER MONTH OR SO
OF WINTER LEFT IT IS LIKELY THAT THESE TOTALS OF 55 DAYS WILL GO
UP.

HERE IS A LIST OF THE TOP 25 WINTER WITH THE MOST NUMBER OF DAYS
WITH HIGHS BELOW FREEZING:

ROCKFORD
1)197885
2)191276
192076
4)197974
5)196070
197770
7)200167
8)198066
9)196265
10)199664
11)198263
200963
13)193662
196362
196562
16)191060
17)195958
198458
19)195157
199757
201057
22)197056
198656
24)200855
201155*

CHICAGO
1)190479
2)189373
3)197872
4)197767
5)189565
6)190564
7)189961
192061
9)187560
188160
191260
191860
197960
200160
15)193659
196359
17)194858
198458
19)188857
190157
21)200956
22)201155*
23)188554
191754
198554

* = IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT THE VALUE FOR 2011 IS ONLY THROUGH FEB
13TH AND IS BEING COMPARED AGAINST ENTIRE WINTER SEASONS. ON
AVERAGE CHICAGO AND ROCKFORD BOTH SEE ABOUT ANOTHER 10 DAYS WITH
HIGHS BELOW FREEZING FROM THIS POINT THROUGH THE END OF THE
WINTER...BUT THE ACTUAL NUMBER OF DAYS IS HIGHLY VARIABLE FROM
YEAR TO YEAR.



IZZI