Chicago weather: Record heat possible today and tomorrow

CHICAGO - This will be day three of an impressive late-season heatwave. Saturday’s high was 91 degrees. Yesterday was 93.  

Chicago should tag 96 degrees today, one degree shy of the record set in 1973. Tomorrow will be even hotter with some computer models advertising 100+ degrees. 

Tomorrow’s record is also 97 degrees set in 1973. Should we hit 100 degrees, it would be the latest 100-degree day in August. (There are three 100s in September.) The peak heat index today and tomorrow will be between 100-112 warranting the myriad of arcane heat alerts posted by the weather bureau.  

Suffice to say the magnitude of the heat will pose a health risk to those who do not get enough water or gain access to air conditioning even for short periods of time. This is especially the case for the elderly and those with pre-existing conditions. 

Couple the heat and humidity with an air quality alert and there are plenty of ingredients to make people uncomfortable at the very least. As for thunderstorm potential, the prime time for concern will be tomorrow evening/night when damaging wind gusts could accompany any storms that flare up.

Some models hint at something flirting with our area tonight but that appears to be a very low chance at this point.  While it won’t be as hot Wednesday-Friday, it won’t be cool either.  Highs those three days will be well into the 80s and might still tag 90 degrees on Wednesday. 

The real relief arrives over the weekend and it will feel much more comfortable here for Labor Day and next week.

The record high minimum for Sunday was tied. The daily low was 74 degrees, equaling the mark set Aug. 25, 1959.