A big warm-up to follow chilly, damp holiday weekend

Posted on: May 24th, 2013 10:18 PM by Jennifer Kohnke No Comments

 

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Memorial Day weekend the chilliest in 12 years

Posted on: May 24th, 2013 10:52 PM by Steve Kahn No Comments

 

Memorial Day weekend typically marks the start of the summer season, but this year there will be a chill in the air. High temperatures are forecast to reach only early April-level highs in the upper 50s on Saturday and 60s on Sunday and Monday. Those temperatures will make it the city's coolest Memorial Day weekend since 2001. Not only will it be cool, but sprinkles and scattered light showers on Saturday and Sunday morning should build to more numerous showers and thunderstorms Sunday afternoon and Memorial Day, putting a further damper on outdoor activities.

 

An abrupt shift in the weather pattern will send heat and humidity into the area later next week, boosting temperatures to the lower 90s with a continuing threat of showers and thunderstorms.

Chicago skyline on a chilly May day

Posted on: May 24th, 2013 10:23 PM by Steve Kahn No Comments

 

Thanks to Daniel Buechele for sending along this shot of the city, taken looking east from the Marriott Hotel.

 

Photo by Daniel Buechele

Photo by Daniel Buechele

ASK TOM WHY: Do other countries have tornadoes?

Posted on: May 24th, 2013 6:52 PM by CWC Staff No Comments

 

Dear Tom,

 

Do other countries have tornadoes? We never hear of others having a catastrophe like Oklahoma's.

— Marlene Jiracek, Willowbrook, and Jeffrey Kozinski, Mokena

 
Dear Marlene and Jeff,

 

The U.S. records about 75 percent of the world's tornadoes, a result of our nation's unique central geography that puts polar, tropical and desert air masses on a collision course, a textbook environment for tornado formation. However, twisters can occur anywhere in the world (except for the polar regions). Tornado expert Tom Grazulis has documented twisters in more than 40 nations, including Canada, Japan, Australia, Western Europe, South Africa, Russia, Argentina and Bangladesh. Most experts believe that the number of tornadoes outside of the U.S. is likely underreported because of poor documentation.

A Spring Time Visitor

Posted on: May 24th, 2013 5:53 PM by CWC Staff No Comments

 

Corie Stevens  of Harvard, Illinois, sends us a picture of this little critter after a downpour earlier this week. This amphibian appears to be a grey tree frog. Although grey is written on its name, these frogs can change their color to its surroundings. Thanks Corie for sharing this with us.

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Crepuscular Rays

Posted on: May 24th, 2013 5:28 PM by CWC Staff No Comments

 

A beautiful photo from Russ Siedecki of Munster, Indiana  shows us crepuscular rays. Crepuscular rays are streaks of sunlight seen mostly right after sunrise and right before sunset when the light is able to shine through the breaks in the clouds. Thanks Russ for sharing this picture with us.

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A Quieter Moment

Posted on: May 24th, 2013 5:03 PM by CWC Staff No Comments

 

After all of the destruction in Oklahoma this week Denette Sagel Gallman sends us a quieter moment from one of the tornado site in Shawnee, OK of a gorgeous sunset. Thank you for sharing this wonderful photo Denette!

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Double Rainbow

Posted on: May 24th, 2013 5:10 PM by CWC Staff No Comments

 

Karen Joy Jackson sent us this beautiful picture of a double rainbow in  Bourbonnais this past Wednesday evening. This is a pretty view coming out of all the soggy weather! Thanks Karen!

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Rough Water on Lake Michigan

Posted on: May 24th, 2013 5:02 PM by CWC Staff No Comments

 

Thursday brought rough waters to Lake Michigan as we see from this great picture sent to us by Ted Soller from Michigan City, IN. The high winds caused up to 13 feet swells! We can see some of those rough waters hitting a lighthouse in Michigan City, IN. What a great picture! Thanks Ted!

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Tim’s Weather World: Warm start to meteorological summer?

Posted on: May 24th, 2013 5:16 AM by Tim McGill No Comments

 

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We are about a week away from the start of meteorological summer.  After a cool, wet spring it looks like summer could start off steamy.  So far this has been the 2nd wettest spring on record and nearly 60% of days have recorded below average temperatures.  We may be about to experience more "weather whiplash". Both the 6-10 day long range forecast (top image below) from the Climate Prediction Center and the 8-14 day forecast (bottom image below) have the midwest and most of the eastern half of the country outlooked for above average temperatures.  The bulls-eye for the highest probability of seeing above average temperatures for those periods is centered right over Illinois and Indiana.

 

Starting next Tuesday we could see a string of sultry summer-like days with highs into the 80s.  Stay tuned.

 

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