Even with beaches closed, some go jump in the lake to deal with heat
On a typical mid-July day, Chicago’s lakefront would be bustling with thousands of people retreating to Lake Michigan to cool down — but that wasn’t the case Saturday, even as the city experienced one of its hottest and most humid days this summer.
With beaches still closed due to the coronavirus pandemic, geese outnumbered people at the deserted North Avenue and Montrose beaches. Lifeguards patrolled the lakefront, telling people to stay out of the water.
That didn’t stop some Chicagoans from taking a dip in Lake Michigan in an attempt to beat the “miserable heat.”
As of Saturday afternoon, the highest temperature recorded was 91 degrees at O’Hare Airport, with a heat index of 100 degrees, according to the National Weather Service. A thunderstorm rolling in from the west provided some much-needed cloud coverage to keep temperatures in check, according to meteorologist Ricky Castro.
“The temperatures aren’t going to be anything off the charts as we’ve seen. But it’s probably the most humid day we’ve had,” Castro said.
A heat advisory was in effect through Saturday night, with heat index values potentially soaring up to 105 degrees.
That prompted several groups of people to take the plunge off the lakefront trail near Fullerton Avenue.
“It’s refreshing,” one person reassured their friends while swimming in the forbidden waters. “It feels good.”
A trio of men from Logan Square took an Uber to the lakefront when they saw the temperatures were projected to top 90 degrees.
“It’s a beautiful day,” said 24-year-old Blake Cox. “[The water] is perfect.”