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Forecast of the Day • A National Weather Forecasting Contest

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Thursday September 20, 2018

Assignment: Predict the 24 hr maximum temperature (deg F) for Chicago-O Hare, IL (KORD)

Several times in the last week, temperatures in the Midwest have been very high, exceeding the forecasted highs and putting a lot of pressure on utility companies to keep up with the electrical demand caused by increased air conditioning. Thursday could be another day like that in Chicago, where the most recent MOS Tmax forecasts are 83 and 89 F, but the National Weather Service is predicting 91, maybe trying to be cautious. Then on Friday a cold front comes through and everything changes. Let's forecast Thursday's Tmax at O'Hare Airport and see if the human forecasts are better than the model forecasts.

Question: In a hot, humid summertime pattern such as this, what are some factors that could cause the temperatures to be higher than expected?

Forecasts for Chicago-O Hare, IL (KORD)
Forecaster Tmax, deg F (error) Comment Day Score