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Chicago's first burst of sunshine in more than a week won't last long

Written by
Jonathan Samples
Photograph: CC/Flickr/LongitudeLatitude
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Don’t be alarmed, Chicago. That bright orange thing in the sky isn’t Donald Trump descending from on high with "the Feds!" It’s the sun!

Those of you with short memories may have forgotten what it looks like, since the last time we saw sunshine in the Chicago area was more than a week ago on January 21. The eight-day streak of cloudy skies prior to this morning’s sunburst was the longest stretch of gloomy weather in the city in more than 25 years and the fourth longest stretch every recorded in Chicagoland, according to WGN.

From January 22–29, Chicagoans were unable to see the sun in the afternoon sky. The last time Chicago registered a longer stretch of cloudiness took place from December 29, 1991, to January 9, 1992, when the city went 12 days without sunshine. Chicago climatologist Frank Wachowski told WGN that this month also marks the second cloudiest January on record. Only January 1998 had fewer days without sunshine since meteorologists began keeping records in 1893.

If you're feeling deprived of vitamin D, you might want to get outside and catch some rays while they last. By midday today, a fast-moving Alberta clipper is expected to spread mid- and high-level clouds across the area, according to the Chicago Tribune.

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