Record heat in Chicago

The temperature at O'Hare hit 26.7°C/81°F just before 4pm today. That's a new record:

The National Weather Service recorded a temperature of 80 degrees at O’Hare Airport, surpassing the previous record of 79 degrees set in 1986 and met in 1998, according to NWS meteorologist Mark Ratzer.

But he warned not to get used to the heat.

A cold front heading to the area Tuesday afternoon is expected to cause temperatures to plummet to a low of 37 degrees by Tuesday night. Areas near the lake will likely be cooler than inland areas.

Showers and thunderstorms are also possible in the area early Tuesday and throughout much of the rest of the week. Temperatures rivaling Monday’s record likely won’t return to the area within the next week, according to the Weather Service.

That's right, kids, it's still spring in Chicago. So buckle up for the next few days.