By Meteorologist Tom Skilling
Thursday's temperature plunge was so extreme it was as if the city had been exposed to a switch in seasons in just 28 hours. That's the time it took readings here to dive from a near record 95-degrees Wednesday to Thursday afternoon's chilly low 50s. The 45 degree plunge at O'Hare fell just short of June's all time record 2-day pullback of 49-degrees recorded between June 25 and 26, 1988. That period saw the temperature dive from 103-degrees to 54.
While Thursday's thermal retreat was not a record, the cool-down was of a magnitude which has been observed in only four other Junes here over the past 141 years.
While O'Hare dipped to 50 degrees late Thursday, readings at a number of locations near Lake Michigan were even cooler. Late afternoon readings fell to 47-degrees at WeatherBug thermometers at Wilmette and the University of Chicago while temperatures reached mid to late March-level 48-degree readings at Glencoe and Chesterton, Indiana and 49-degrees at Niles and Highland Park.
Saturated soils threaten flooding in Friday/Friday night thundery downpours; hardest hit south suburbs swamped by 3- to 6-inch rains early Thursday
Torrential rains drenched portions of the Chicago area in powerful thunderstorms which introduced the chill Wednesday night and early Thursday. The southern half of the Chicago metro area was especially hard hit. Midway Airport's 3.23 inches of rain blasted past the previous June 9 record of 1.06 inches in 1998. But it was southwest suburban Romeoville which topped the list at 5.29 inches followed closely by Plainfield's 5.01-inch tally. Other heavy totals included Lemont with 4.65 inches, Hinsdale 4.35 inches, Yorkville 4.23 inches, Oswego 4.05 inches and Joliet with 4.01 inches. The thundery deluge swamped Aurora with 3.89 inches, Downers Grove with 3.25 inches and both Rock Falls and Elmhurst logged 3.00 inches. A total of 2.96 inches was measured at Crown Point, Indiana, 2.58 inches at both far south suburban Peotone and west suburban Oak Brook.
The cloudburst Wednesday night and Thursday not only produced extensive flooding, but left area soils saturated. That's bad news because a new storm is traversing the Midwest and likely to produce new eruptions of thunderstorms Friday and Friday night--and even the potential for severe weather.
New storm to pull warm, humid 80-degree air north to Chicago boosting severe weather threat Friday afternoon
That storm is to briefly return some of the warm air which retreated Thursday back to the area later Friday. That warming is imminent won't be evident right away Friday. A morning's chill won't give way until southerly winds replace the southeast flow which opens the day. That's to happen as a warm front sweeps north to the city. Its warming isn't likely to reach far north lakeshore communities with anything near the strength predicted in Chicago and area's south, where the temperature will be very close to 80-degrees.
Riding into the area and sure to lend a dramatically warmer feel to the air especially over the south half of the metro area will be humid 70-degree dew points. This will give the air a Gulf Coast feel later in the day. The return of warmth and humidity may prove a mixed blessing. Warm, humid air possesses a good deal of energy which can fuel thunderstorm growth. A sharp shift in wind direction with height, a steep vertical temperature decline and the presence of comparatively strong winds aloft suggest severe thunderstorms may develop. NOAA's Storm Prediction Center has outlooked the Chicago area for possible severe weather,
Cool air behind Thursday chill here brings relief from record Eastern heat
Record heat gripped the Eastern U.S. for a second day Thursday. By late in the day, the same cool air mass which had sent Chicago temperatures diving, sent powerful thunderstorms into Philadelphia, delaying the Cubs game. Record-breaking highs topped 100-degrees at Atlantic City (102), Washington Reagan Airport (102), Newark (102) and Baltimore and Salisbury, Maryland. (100).
Cooler weather headed this way for Saturday/Sunday; no 80s this weekend
Temperatures hit 92-degrees last Saturday and 85 degrees on Sunday. But there will be no repeat this weekend. Seasonably cool temperatures are predicted.
Warm, humid air could stage comeback by mid-next week
Warmer, more humid air is slated to return next Tuesday and Wednesday with temperatures returning to the 80s.
Thursday's temperature plunge was so extreme it was as if the city had been exposed to a switch in seasons in just 28 hours. That's the time it took readings here to dive from a near record 95-degrees Wednesday to Thursday afternoon's chilly low 50s. The 45 degree plunge at O'Hare fell just short of June's all time record 2-day pullback of 49-degrees recorded between June 25 and 26, 1988. That period saw the temperature dive from 103-degrees to 54.
While Thursday's thermal retreat was not a record, the cool-down was of a magnitude which has been observed in only four other Junes here over the past 141 years.
While O'Hare dipped to 50 degrees late Thursday, readings at a number of locations near Lake Michigan were even cooler. Late afternoon readings fell to 47-degrees at WeatherBug thermometers at Wilmette and the University of Chicago while temperatures reached mid to late March-level 48-degree readings at Glencoe and Chesterton, Indiana and 49-degrees at Niles and Highland Park.
Saturated soils threaten flooding in Friday/Friday night thundery downpours; hardest hit south suburbs swamped by 3- to 6-inch rains early ThursdayTorrential rains drenched portions of the Chicago area in powerful thunderstorms which introduced the chill Wednesday night and early Thursday. The southern half of the Chicago metro area was especially hard hit. Midway Airport's 3.23 inches of rain blasted past the previous June 9 record of 1.06 inches in 1998. But it was southwest suburban Romeoville which topped the list at 5.29 inches followed closely by Plainfield's 5.01-inch tally. Other heavy totals included Lemont with 4.65 inches, Hinsdale 4.35 inches, Yorkville 4.23 inches, Oswego 4.05 inches and Joliet with 4.01 inches. The thundery deluge swamped Aurora with 3.89 inches, Downers Grove with 3.25 inches and both Rock Falls and Elmhurst logged 3.00 inches. A total of 2.96 inches was measured at Crown Point, Indiana, 2.58 inches at both far south suburban Peotone and west suburban Oak Brook.
The cloudburst Wednesday night and Thursday not only produced extensive flooding, but left area soils saturated. That's bad news because a new storm is traversing the Midwest and likely to produce new eruptions of thunderstorms Friday and Friday night--and even the potential for severe weather.
New storm to pull warm, humid 80-degree air north to Chicago boosting severe weather threat Friday afternoon
That storm is to briefly return some of the warm air which retreated Thursday back to the area later Friday. That warming is imminent won't be evident right away Friday. A morning's chill won't give way until southerly winds replace the southeast flow which opens the day. That's to happen as a warm front sweeps north to the city. Its warming isn't likely to reach far north lakeshore communities with anything near the strength predicted in Chicago and area's south, where the temperature will be very close to 80-degrees.
Riding into the area and sure to lend a dramatically warmer feel to the air especially over the south half of the metro area will be humid 70-degree dew points. This will give the air a Gulf Coast feel later in the day. The return of warmth and humidity may prove a mixed blessing. Warm, humid air possesses a good deal of energy which can fuel thunderstorm growth. A sharp shift in wind direction with height, a steep vertical temperature decline and the presence of comparatively strong winds aloft suggest severe thunderstorms may develop. NOAA's Storm Prediction Center has outlooked the Chicago area for possible severe weather,
Cool air behind Thursday chill here brings relief from record Eastern heat
Record heat gripped the Eastern U.S. for a second day Thursday. By late in the day, the same cool air mass which had sent Chicago temperatures diving, sent powerful thunderstorms into Philadelphia, delaying the Cubs game. Record-breaking highs topped 100-degrees at Atlantic City (102), Washington Reagan Airport (102), Newark (102) and Baltimore and Salisbury, Maryland. (100).
Cooler weather headed this way for Saturday/Sunday; no 80s this weekend
Temperatures hit 92-degrees last Saturday and 85 degrees on Sunday. But there will be no repeat this weekend. Seasonably cool temperatures are predicted.
Warm, humid air could stage comeback by mid-next week
Warmer, more humid air is slated to return next Tuesday and Wednesday with temperatures returning to the 80s.
