Talk to a Chicagoan about their hometown and the topic will quickly move to weather: “You can get all four seasons in the same day.”  “Nobody moves here for the weather.”  “It’s always changing, so it’s a good conversation piece.”  I simply say that Chicago’s weather is predictably unpredictable.

These quips wouldn’t be quite so funny if they weren’t true.  Chicago weather is especially a gamble during the changeover seasons of autumn and spring.  (The occasional April or October snow says it all.)  You never quite know what to wear until the day is halfway over.

Thankfully, that doesn’t stop Chicago from planning outdoor activities.  Ask anyone who has run the Chicago Marathon: race-day temperatures are often in question till the morning of.

To celebrate the most recent Chicago Marathon, held just this past Monday, we took a quick peek at race-day temperatures over the years.  Here’s what we saw:

No, your eyes do not deceive you: the high temperatures go as low as 40 degrees, while the low temperatures go as high as 70.  Be sure to pack mittens and light clothing!