Polar Vortex Or Not, Chicago Summer Will Continue On Next Week
By Lisa White in News on Jul 11, 2014 6:00PM
There are two words related to weather that now strikes fear in the hearts of many Chicagoans after this previous winter: polar vortex. So it's no surprise when numerous outlets claimed some version of a "polar vortex" would be sweeping across the country next week, we noticed local internet suddenly lit up like a Christmas tree with either praise or meltdown level tantrums. Because weather sets high on the list of things Chicagoans love to prattle on about, somewhere above grocery store closures and openings but maybe below Divvy and Wrigley Field. We're no strangers to this discussion, we wouldn't truly love Chicago if we didn't enjoy bonding over the long icy winters, short gorgeous summers and the blink and you'll miss it spring and fall. So as all Chicagoans do, we turned to Tom Skilling for the answers.
And Skilling told our friends at the RedEye that we all need to simmer down, folks. Skilling threw some major shade about the PV term being thrown around so loosely. "I've been in the business 47 years and I've always learned a polar vortex forms in the winter," Skilling told RedEye. "There's such a sensitivity to that term, it's not what I would have used."
You've been served, National Weather Service!
Skilling went on to say we can still expect below normal temperatures next week, which equates to temperatures in the 70s and dropping into the low 50s at night. Which for those of us who would rather spend their summer bringing along a light jacket and/or cardigan instead of ending up a pile of sweat, this sounds perfectly delightful. Hopefully it will stretch into the weekend and provide a more mild setting for Pitchfork Festival. A sweaty shirtless hipster rubbing up against you is a surefire mood killer when seeking out a weekend of fun.
Basically suck it up and wear some layers because it could be a lot worse. Mid-range weather is much safer than extreme heat or cold so enjoy what we've got. And don't act like you still won't be enjoying the outdoors, since in winter we know everyone hits the patio the first evening it creeps above 50 degrees outside.
For those who are still cowering in fear over the dreaded polar vortex, Skilling went on to assure people even more, pointing out that in recent weeks temperatures in northern Canada and Alaska have been higher than in Chicago. Our favorite reasoning is when Skilling dropped a nuclear winter reference to cite just how impossible a real polar vortex would be:
Skilling said it would be a "near physical impossibility" for actual polar vortex conditions to form. How impossible? Skilling says a volcano would have to erupt, or a nuclear winter would have to blot out the sun. "We're not going to see snow flying, or ice pellets," he said. "We might see some hail from thunderstorms."
So dress appropriately, keep enjoying the summer because 50s to 70s is still better than -15 and save your weather lament for next February.