Don't believe me, believe the National Weather Service, which released this official statement yesterday...
THE IMPRESSIVE COLD THIS PAST WINTER CONTINUED DURING MARCH...WITH A MONTHLY AVERAGE TEMPERATURE OF ONLY 31.7 DEGREES FOR THE MONTH. THIS RANKS AS THE 19TH COLDEST MARCH ON RECORD IN CHICAGO. HOWEVER...OF EVEN MORE INTEREST IS THE FACT THAT WITH THE ABNORMALLY COLD MARCH ACROSS THE AREA...THIS MADE THE AVERAGE TEMPERATURE FOR THE DECEMBER THROUGH MARCH PERIOD IN CHICAGO 22.0 DEGREES...WHICH IS THE COLDEST SUCH PERIOD ON RECORD FOR CHICAGO DATING BACK TO 1872!
HERE IS A LIST OF THIS YEARS DECEMBER THROUGH MARCH AVERAGE TEMPERATURE RELATED TO THE OTHER COLDEST SUCH PERIODS ON RECORD IN CHICAGO:
RANK AVERAGE YEAR
DEC-MAR TEMP
-----------------------------
1. 22.0 2013-14
2. 22.3 1903-04
3. 22.5 1977-78
22.5 1892-93
5. 22.7 1978-79
