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First Day Of Fall Brings Record Heat For Chicago

CHICAGO (CBS) -- Forget what the calendar says. It might be the first day of fall, but it feels like the middle of summer.

Temperatures hit record-breaking 90s for the third day in a row. Wednesday's and Thursday's highs already broke records for heat in Chicago, and Friday's temperatures followed suit bu the early afternoon.

The record high for Sept. 22 in Chicago was 92 degrees, set in 1956.  The average temperature in Chicago for this time of year is about 73.

With temperatures already in the upper 80s by 11 a.m., and water temperatures in the 70s in Lake Michigan, the beaches were proving quite popular on Friday.

Whether you are running, biking, swimming, strolling or just laying out on the beach, there might be no better place to be this weekend than the lakefront.

Kelley Farmer said she never figured she and her kids would be swimming in the lake on the last day of summer.

"It's beautiful. We love it, it's great," she said.

While the water might be a little chilly, judging by the number of people in the lake, it wasn't too cold on this sweltering hot first day of fall.

And with more heat projected for the weekend, Chicago's beaches likely will be crowded all along 18-mile lakefront.

A word of caution if you do go to the lake: lifeguards will not be on duty, so be careful in the water.

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