Final answer:
The lowest and highest air temperatures typically do not match the dates of the winter and summer solstices; instead, the highest temperatures in places like Chicago are usually in July and August due to the thermal inertia of the Earth's surface and the oceans. The Earth's slightly elliptical orbit also affects seasonal temperatures.
Step-by-step explanation:
The lowest and highest air temperatures in a region like Chicago, Illinois, do not necessarily coincide with the dates of the winter and summer solstices. The highest temperatures are typically seen in July and August, while the lowest temperatures tend to occur a month or more after the winter solstice. These patterns occur due to the thermal inertia of large bodies of water and the Earth's surface, which take time to heat up and cool down.
Chicago's record temperatures, such as the 105° high in July 1995 and the 27° below zero low in January 1958, represent extreme weather events, which are different from typical weather patterns. To understand the typical pattern, one must consider a broader set of data collected over time.
Furthermore, the heating and cooling of the earth, and consequently, when the warmest and coldest days occur, are affected by the slow change in the temperature of the oceans and by the slightly elliptical orbit of the Earth around the Sun. This elliptical orbit causes the Earth to be closest to the Sun during the northern hemisphere's winter, moderating the winter temperatures, and farthest during the northern hemisphere's summer, leading to milder summer temperatures.