Chicago Smashes Record by 7°, First-Ever Consecutive 80°+ Days in March

March 16, 5 PM CDT Update: The preliminary daily climate report indicates that the high temperature at Chicago was 82° shortly before 3 pm. This is the earliest date that the temperature has reached 82° at Chicago. The previous earliest was on the 27th in 1945.

March 16, 4 PM CDT Update: The Chicago temperature is at 81° for the third consecutive day.

March 16, 3 PM CDT Update: With a temperature of 80° at the current hour, Chicago has again broken the record with an unprecedented third consecutive 80° day. The previous record for March 16 was 78° in 1945.

March 16, 2 PM CDT Update: With a temperature of 79° at the current hour, Chicago is within striking distance of an unprecedented third consecutive 80° day.

March 16, AM Update: The National Weather Service has confirmed this morning the report published here last night and provided some additional background data:

THE HIGH TEMPERATURE AT CHICAGO-O'HARE CLIMBED TO 81 DEGREES ON  
MARCH 14TH AND 15TH. THIS IS THE EARLIEST BACK TO BACK 80 DEGREE  
DAYS TO HAVE EVER BEEN RECORDED IN CHICAGO. THE PREVIOUS RECORD  
WAS SET JUST A COUPLE YEARS BACK ON APRIL 1ST AND 2ND 2010 WHEN  
THE HIGH TEMPERATURES WERE 83 AND 81 RESPECTIVELY. PRIOR TO 2010  
THE EARLIEST BACK TO BACK 80 DEGREE DAYS IN CHICAGO WERE APRIL 5TH  
AND 6TH 1929.   

Original post:
After hitting 81° yesterday for the third-earliest 80°+ temperature at Chicago, the high reached 81° again today. This broke the old record for the date by the huge margin of 7°, and it was the first time in 142 years of climate history that 80°+ temperatures were recorded on consecutive days. Prior to this year, the only dates in March with record temperatures of 80° or higher were:

Day   Temp/Year
 3    80/1974
12    81/1990
23    80/1907
27    82/1945
29    88/1986
31    87/1981 

The 82° at Rockford smashed the record for March 15 set in 1995 by 9°. Rockford climate history began in 1893.