By Meteorologist Tom Skilling
Rain-weary Chicagoans won't find this hard to believe. April 2011 has produced 16 days of measurable rain---55 percent more than normal and the greatest number of measurably rainy April days here in the 50 years since 1961! A scan of Aprils back to 1871 indicates the opening 28 days of the month typically sees 11 measurable rains. "Measurable rain" is defined as any rainfall which reaches or exceeds 0.01-inch.
The month's 4.56 inches of rain through Tuesday ranks as the 17th rainiest April in 140 years of records. While 124 have been drier, only 16 have been wetter.
Latest storm's rain to "swipe" Chicago; heaviest totals expected east and south--but a flood watch posted for area rivers which are running near bankful
Heavy rains sweep northeastward into an area EAST of Chicago Wednesday. Lighter rains to the west will swipe the metro area from time to time with several tenths to as much as a half inch of rain at some locations. Flood watches have been hoisted for Chicago area river basins.
Recent downpours have a number of these rivers running near or at flood stage---among them the Fox, Des Plaines, Kankakee and Illinois Rivers.
Soils have become saturated with the proliferation of wet weather this month and any rain which falls is unable to percolate into the moist ground. This raises the specter that any rain which falls Wednesday will end up running off the wet soil and could end up contributing to flooding.
System behind Wednesday's rain here responsible for still another widespread severe weather outbreak to the south Tuesday; 350+ severe storm reports including 34 involving twisters
The storm responsible for Wednesday's Chicago rain threat had, by late evening Tuesday, contributed to 350 reports of severe weather across a 15 state area, including Texas, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Kentucky. There were 36 reports of twisters.
Another outbreak of severe weather is due over a wide area of the country Wednesday afternoon and evening--from Alabama and Mississippi north to Kentucky and a swath of southeast Indiana and Ohio.
Thundery deluges inundate already rain-soaked Arkansas and western Tennessee; more storms due Wednesday
Huge rainfalls were recorded across Arkansas and Tennessee again Tuesday. Totals included 4.48-inches at El Dorado, 3.41 inches Pine Bluff and 3.16 inches at Ulm---all in Arkansas and 3.47 inches and 3.19 inches in Memphis and Cordova, Tennessee.
Tuesday highs hit 68 in the city--warmest in 13 days!
Chicago area high temperatures reached 70-degrees Tuesday at Gary and Kankakee while O'Hare, Midway and the Lakefront topped out at 68--the warmest readings in the city over the past 13 days. The day as a whole averaged 7-degrees above normal--the largest surplus since April 11 which finished 10-degrees above normal.
Rain-weary Chicagoans won't find this hard to believe. April 2011 has produced 16 days of measurable rain---55 percent more than normal and the greatest number of measurably rainy April days here in the 50 years since 1961! A scan of Aprils back to 1871 indicates the opening 28 days of the month typically sees 11 measurable rains. "Measurable rain" is defined as any rainfall which reaches or exceeds 0.01-inch.
The month's 4.56 inches of rain through Tuesday ranks as the 17th rainiest April in 140 years of records. While 124 have been drier, only 16 have been wetter.
Latest storm's rain to "swipe" Chicago; heaviest totals expected east and south--but a flood watch posted for area rivers which are running near bankful
Heavy rains sweep northeastward into an area EAST of Chicago Wednesday. Lighter rains to the west will swipe the metro area from time to time with several tenths to as much as a half inch of rain at some locations. Flood watches have been hoisted for Chicago area river basins.
Recent downpours have a number of these rivers running near or at flood stage---among them the Fox, Des Plaines, Kankakee and Illinois Rivers.
Soils have become saturated with the proliferation of wet weather this month and any rain which falls is unable to percolate into the moist ground. This raises the specter that any rain which falls Wednesday will end up running off the wet soil and could end up contributing to flooding.
System behind Wednesday's rain here responsible for still another widespread severe weather outbreak to the south Tuesday; 350+ severe storm reports including 34 involving twisters
The storm responsible for Wednesday's Chicago rain threat had, by late evening Tuesday, contributed to 350 reports of severe weather across a 15 state area, including Texas, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Kentucky. There were 36 reports of twisters.
Another outbreak of severe weather is due over a wide area of the country Wednesday afternoon and evening--from Alabama and Mississippi north to Kentucky and a swath of southeast Indiana and Ohio.
Thundery deluges inundate already rain-soaked Arkansas and western Tennessee; more storms due Wednesday
Huge rainfalls were recorded across Arkansas and Tennessee again Tuesday. Totals included 4.48-inches at El Dorado, 3.41 inches Pine Bluff and 3.16 inches at Ulm---all in Arkansas and 3.47 inches and 3.19 inches in Memphis and Cordova, Tennessee.
Tuesday highs hit 68 in the city--warmest in 13 days!
Chicago area high temperatures reached 70-degrees Tuesday at Gary and Kankakee while O'Hare, Midway and the Lakefront topped out at 68--the warmest readings in the city over the past 13 days. The day as a whole averaged 7-degrees above normal--the largest surplus since April 11 which finished 10-degrees above normal.
