Chicago braces for midweek hot stretch as climatologists weigh in on ‘weather whiplash’ in a summer both wet and dry

There’s a slight cool breeze in the hallways of the largest residential building in the city’s 49th Ward. But when Susan Hoffman steps inside her apartment at the senior living facility in Rogers Park, the heat closes in and the air stands still.

Hoffman, 71, waves her hand over one of her two air conditioning units connected to the building’s central cooling system. She walks to the second unit and repeats the same motion. Not a wisp of air comes through. She said her AC hasn’t worked all summer.

“I can’t sleep at night, because I can’t breathe,” said Hoffman, who has lung disease and cannot open the windows because of the bad air-quality days Chicago has been experiencing due to Canadian wildfires. “Even with the fan, I cannot breathe.”

Weather has been unpredictable this summer.

Particulate matter from wildfire smoke has traveled thousands of miles to settle in a haze over the city on repeated occasions. After experiencing one of its driest springs, Midway Airport saw its wettest July on record, and the South and West sides were especially hard hit with flooded basements, streets and sidewalks. A relatively cool climate has also been punctuated by episodes of high heat, the first at the end of July.

This week, the Chicago and surrounding areas will once again be hit with a drastic shift in weather as temperatures climb over 90 degrees, possibly nearing 100. Humidity could make it feel as hot as 110.

Hoffman has lived in the Chicago Housing Authority building on Sheridan Road for about a decade but said it’s only the second summer she’s had issues with her air conditioning. As temperatures climb higher, she’s worried about how the heat will affect her health.

Just like she did at the end of July when temperatures indoors were too high without a functioning AC unit, Hoffman said she’ll probably go elsewhere this week during the daytime.

Last year, three Rogers Park women died of heat exposure in another senior housing facility during a week when temperatures exceeded 90. In the days leading up to the women’s deaths, the building had received several complaints from residents about units being too hot and the air conditioning not working. Lawyers for the families said temperature readings registered two of the women’s units at around 103 at the time they were found.

Although temperatures aren’t expected to be as high as they were in late July, experts say the heat Chicago will experience the next few days will still be an anomaly.

“It’s not common at any time of the year,” said Kevin Doom, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service. “But when you get this late in the season, it becomes even more uncommon for sure.”

Illinois State Climatologist Trent Ford also said temperatures will be “a good 10 to 15 degrees above normal” for this time of year between mid- to late August. However, the eight-to-14-day outlook indicates a decreasing likelihood of above average temperatures in the Chicago area.

“If the models are correct in their forecast,” he said, “this will not be super long, persisting maybe a week.”

City dwellers got a taste of it on Sunday as temperatures hovered over 90 and heat indexes reached 105.

“In the city itself, (Monday) is going to feel much better,” Doom said. “But I think it’s gonna return for Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday — especially Wednesday and Thursday are gonna be real cookers.”

While temperatures will certainly be higher than they have been during the last few weeks of cooler weather, Ford said, the heat likely won’t be as bad as it was at the end of July, when temperatures reached the high 90s. That’s not to say, however, that people should let their guards down.

“The thing is that even 90-degree temperatures in the wrong situation can be deadly, or at least very, very harmful,” Ford said.

Drought and downpours

Although the Chicago area got a lot of rain last month, especially during the weekend of the NASCAR race, the state is not necessarily “out of the woods” in terms of dry weather either, Ford said, though the conditions have certainly improved in the last few months.

“Following a very, very dry April to June — it was the fourth-driest April to June on record at Midway, and that record stretches back to 1928, so fourth-driest is really intense — it’s actually the wettest July,” Ford said. “It was pretty wild to go from that dry over a period of time to a really, really wet July.”

Ford added that the rain has helped “slowly eat away at drought conditions,” improving crop conditions, soil moisture and streamflow. The levels of the Kankakee River and the Fox River, for example, were very low until July.

“Some of the research that folks have done, myself included, points to the historical trends of increased precipitation variability,” Ford said. “We do see more of these kinds of rapid transition swings, as some folks call it, the ‘weather whiplash,’ where we go from very, very dry to very, very wet and maybe sometimes back to very, very dry.

“Those are an increasingly frequent part of our Midwest climate, including Chicago. I think that the major question that remains is how do these things continue to change into the future?

“There’s not a clear ‘Yes, this is due to climate change’ or ‘No, this isn’t due to climate change’,” Ford said.

Cooling common rooms

Ald. Maria Hadden, who represents the 49th Ward, where the three women died and where Hoffman’s building is located, led the city to adopt changes to an ordinance that requires certain residential buildings to install cooling equipment in indoor common areas so residents can use them when the heat index is over 80 degrees outdoors.

The heat index is a measure of relative humidity and air temperature, and a closer representation of how it really feels outside, an important measurement for weather officials deciding when to issue heat warnings and advisories.

The common areas in Hoffman’s building, which has more than 400 residents, are air-conditioned.

“For senior buildings and buildings that have 100 units or more, they have to have cooling systems for their common areas that are independent of their building system,” Hadden said. “They are not required to have a backup cooling system for every unit.”

Residents having issues with the AC in their units should be able to access these common rooms on hot days. But Hadden said the ordinance is not prescriptive in regards to a timeline for repairs on individual units.

Hoffman said two inspectors have been sent to check on her unit but the last she heard — over a month ago — was that they were waiting on an equipment part to proceed with repairs.

“Do something about the air conditioning, that’s all I want,” Hoffman said. “I mean, I shouldn’t have to live like this. No one should. No one should have to live like this.”

The CHA said in a statement Monday that when Hoffman’s building was inspected Sunday, the air conditioning was working on all floors of the senior living facility. The statement also said the property has not experienced issues with air conditioners this summer.

“CHA takes the health and safety of all its residents, especially seniors, very seriously and we are committed to ensuring that all of our properties are safe and operational,” the statement said. “We appreciate residents and others bringing these matters to our attention and will continue to work to address all of the concerns.

“As for the other CHA senior properties, CHA staff and case management teams provide regular wellness checks on our most vulnerable residents, including seniors and frail residents,” the statement said. “During extreme weather, these happen three times daily. Frail, homebound residents also receive special attention, as calls and visits are being made in addition to the routine well-being checks. Additionally, all buildings have common areas that are accessible to residents and serve as cooling centers. Any time a CHA senior or family is concerned about heat, they should contact their property manager.”

As of Monday morning, Hoffman continued asserting the air conditioning unit in her apartment was still not working but said she was given a portable AC unit while repairs are ongoing.

Stay cool to stay safe

As is often the case during the summer on days of extreme heat, the Chicago Office of Emergency Management and Communications will be offering cooling centers across the city as it monitors weather conditions.

According to the OEMC, the weather service may issue an extreme heat warning if the heat index is expected to exceed 105 for at least two consecutive days. Once such a warning is issued, the city’s emergency response plan is activated.

The city’s cooling areas are located at its six community service centers, open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday: the Englewood Center at 1140 W. 79th St., the Garfield Center at 10 S. Kedzie Ave., the King Center at 4314 S. Cottage Grove, the North Area Center at 845 W. Wilson Ave., the South Chicago Center at 8650 S. Commercial Ave., and the Trina Davila Center at 4312 W. North Ave.

The Cook County Department of Emergency Management and Regional Security has a map and a list of cooling centers on its website at cookcountyil.gov/service/cooling-centers. The city’s Department of Health and Human Services also has an interactive map of 222 locations with access to air conditioning across Chicago, from senior centers to community colleges to park spray features.

The Chicago Park District has 34 cooling centers, which can be found on its website at chicagoparkdistrict.com/parks-facilities/cooling-centers. The district also suggests Chicagoans take advantage of its beaches, pools, water playgrounds and sprays.

The best way to avoid the heat is to stay indoors or in the shade. Indoors, people should turn on the air conditioning or draw shades and close blinds. Other precautions indoors include turning lights off, minimizing the use of stoves and ovens, and taking cool baths and showers.

Chicagoans should be mindful and seek medical help if they experience symptoms of heat exhaustion — such as dizziness, thirst, sweating and nausea — which can lead to heat stroke, with symptoms like dizziness, confusion and becoming unconscious.

Ford said that when staying inside is not possible, Chicagoans — especially those who work under the sun most of the day — should try to take breaks while outdoors and check in with those most vulnerable who might not have easy access to cooling systems.

The city offers wellness checks on vulnerable residents, which can be requested calling 311. People should also try to wear loose, light, cotton clothing.

During periods of extreme heat, authorities and health experts urge people to never leave children or pets unattended inside a vehicle and to drink plenty of fluids — not coffee, alcohol or sodas but preferably water — to prevent dehydration, heat exhaustion and heat stroke. According to the city, all Chicago Public Library locations offer access to water fountains.

Editor’s note: Earlier versions of this story incorrectly stated how wet July was in the Chicago area. Last month was the wettest July on record at Midway Airport.

adperez@chicagotribune.com