Chicago Weather: Weekend warm-up brings record-breaking temperatures

EVANSTON (WLS) -- Chicagoans shed their coats and basked in Saturday's record-breaking, spring-like weather that brought 70-degree temperatures in the middle of winter.

Saturday's high broke a previous record by 8 degrees, said ABC7 meteorologist Phil Schwarz. Friday also saw a record-breaking 67 degrees.
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The sunshine and warm weather drew people out to run in shorts, throw a Frisbee and even paddle board on Lake Michigan.

In Evanston, some Polar Plungers were especially grateful for the weekend warmup.
The two-day Law Enforcement Torch Run Polar Plunge event raised money for the Special Olympics Illinois. Around 60 people jumped into Lake Michigan once an hour until 1 p.m.

Though it is unseasonably warm, the water temperature was still a shock to the body.

"It's definitely a shock as your coming out of 42, 43 degree weather outside, you're hitting the water at about 34 degrees, it's a shock. It's like a big ice bath," said one of the plungers.
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The warm weather is expected to continue on Sunday, which is expected to see highs in the 60s, except by the lake will be cooler and in the 40s. Monday will also be warmer. If the forecast holds, Chicago could tie a record set in 1976 by having four consecutive 60 degree days in February.

Saturday is also the 63rd day in a row without an inch of snow, one day short of the winter record of 64 set twice in the winters of 1953-54 and 1905-6 and with no snow in the forecast for the next several days, the snowless stretch could reach 70 days.