Chicago area smashes heat record previously set in 2008 for Oct. 12, with highs of 87

Chicago broke its record high for Oct. 12 on Monday, and many people used the holiday to head to the lake.

The high temperature recorded at O'Hare International Airport so far Monday was 87 degrees, 2 degrees higher than the previous record of 85 degrees, set in 2008. CBS Chicago First Alert meteorologists said the high could climb a little more later in the day.

Many Chicagoans who had the Columbus Day and Indigenous Peoples Day holiday off headed to the city's beaches.

Danyelle Cochran, a Chicago police detective, spent Monday playing boat captain. She and her coworkers are due back on duty Tuesday.

"I think this is it, so we have to enjoy," Cochran said of the weather.

The warmth caught 8-year-old Violeta Gonzalez off guard. "It's really warm in October," she said. "I'm confused, but I like it."

She wasn't expecting a beach day. Her mother, Victoria Castillo, decided they had to get outside and "do something." That turned into tossing a frisbee at 31st Street Beach.

The warmth is expected to linger through Tuesday. By the end of the week, overnight lows could dip into the upper 30s.