By Meteorologist Tom Skilling
Powerful winds swept into the Chicago area Thursday producing gusts as high as 60 mph. The winds tore siding off a home in Elburn while knocking over a 100 lb. propane grill and sending a sandbox airborne where it broke into pieces. At the same time, a 6 to 8 inch diameter tree snapped under the force of the winds in Rockford where an evening gust of 58 mph was clocked. Numerous branches were reported down in Pecatonica where gusts hit 60 mph. Winds also reached 60 mph at Peotone. Scattered power outages were reported in the high winds.
Huge wind-generated Lake Michigan waves forecast to pound and erode the Indiana/Michigan shoreline
The onset of gales and storm force winds had the NOAA buoy, 50 miles east/southeast of Milwaukee, bobbing in 8 ft. waves late Thursday---waves ultimately predicted to build to gargantuan 18 to 20 foot swells over the open lake. Persistent northwest winds threaten a pile-up of water against the Indiana and southwest Michigan shoreline, setting up the potential for beach erosion.
The threat of 50 mph gusts has led to the imposition of a ban on some semi-trailers at the west end of the Indiana Toll Road. The powerful winds are the strongest to sweep the Chicago area in nearly 2 months.
Latest autumn storm sends 50 mph gusts into four Midwest states
A new autumn storm, which has spun up as the season's coolest air to date has raced into the Midwest from Canada, is behind the windy assault.
A 68 mph gust at Monroe, Wisconsin appeared the region's highest through late Thursday. Other eye-catching velocities included 58 mph at Forest City, Iowa; 53 mph at Freeport, Illinois; 52 mph at Elburn, Illinois and Muscatine, Iowa; and 50 mph at Moline.
In the Chicago area at Minooka, Hinsdale and Harvard, recorded 50 mph gusts, while WeatherBug sensors at Algonquin, Aurora and Lombard clocked 48 mph gusts. A peak wind of 45 mph swept O'Hare.
Waves of lake-effect rain sweeping into Indiana and Michigan Friday to back into Illinois/Wisconsin shorelines Friday night into Saturday
Some sunshine is likely amid powerful wind gusts to 35 and 40 mph as Friday gets underway from Chicago and areas west even as rain showers continue sweeping into the lake-effect belt from northwest Indiana into southwest Michigan---a set-up expected to continue in those areas through the day. Winds ease, but only marginally as Friday proceeds. Gusts topping 30 mph are likely to still be occurring as Friday afternoon arrives.
A gradual shift in winds from the northwest to the north/northeast Friday night and into Saturday is to allow lake-effect rains to build westward, ultimately reaching the Chicago and Illinois/Wisconsin shorelines.
Chicago's 66-degree Thursday high the mildest here in 8 days
Temperatures Friday surged to 73-degrees at Kankakee, 69 at Rockford and to 68 at Gary, Rochelle and Kenosha. A 67-degree high was observed at Sugar Grove while the official peak reading at O'Hare made it to 66-degrees, the site's mildest in 8 days
Measurable Friday rain would be the 7th such occurrence in a row---September's longest string of measurably rainy days in 73 years
Odd are good at least 0.01 inches additional rain will fall at O'Hare by midnight Friday night/Saturday morning. That would mark the 7th consecutive day measurable precipitation has fallen there, a truly rare occurrence this time of year.
Seven consecutive days of measurable September precipitation last occurred at Chicago's official observation site 73 years ago in 1938.
Football fans in for beautiful weather for Sunday's Bears/Panthers game
The blustery, sporadically showery weather predicted over the coming two days exits the metro area for Sunday's Bears/Panthers game. Kickoff weather Sunday is expected to be sunny with a temperature of 58-degrees and a northwest wind of 5 to 12 mph.
Stage set for significant warming next week; longest stretch of 70s in nearly a month could be headed this way
We've repeatedly cited stats here supporting the notion that warm weather's not history here just yet. Last October proved the point. Between Oct. 6-12 a year ago, daily highs reached 78, 76, 79, 86, 84, 82 and 76-degrees.
A potentially extended spell of decidedly warmer weather appears to be taking shape next week. The warming actually begins Sunday when highs are to reach 65-degrees. But a string of 70s appears is predicted from Monday through at least Thursday. The wild card in determining whether this warmth actually comes off revolves around any potential for a "back-door" cool front which might develop to our north then settle across the Chicago area.
This scenario has been introduced by several models from time to time the past few days. But, with the vast majority of other model projections generate forecasts keeping the front to the north and producing little more than lake breezes Tuesday and/or Wednesday next week. This being the case, the chance for a significant string of consecutive 70+ days appears as good as it has for a month!
Powerful winds swept into the Chicago area Thursday producing gusts as high as 60 mph. The winds tore siding off a home in Elburn while knocking over a 100 lb. propane grill and sending a sandbox airborne where it broke into pieces. At the same time, a 6 to 8 inch diameter tree snapped under the force of the winds in Rockford where an evening gust of 58 mph was clocked. Numerous branches were reported down in Pecatonica where gusts hit 60 mph. Winds also reached 60 mph at Peotone. Scattered power outages were reported in the high winds.
Huge wind-generated Lake Michigan waves forecast to pound and erode the Indiana/Michigan shoreline
The onset of gales and storm force winds had the NOAA buoy, 50 miles east/southeast of Milwaukee, bobbing in 8 ft. waves late Thursday---waves ultimately predicted to build to gargantuan 18 to 20 foot swells over the open lake. Persistent northwest winds threaten a pile-up of water against the Indiana and southwest Michigan shoreline, setting up the potential for beach erosion.
The threat of 50 mph gusts has led to the imposition of a ban on some semi-trailers at the west end of the Indiana Toll Road. The powerful winds are the strongest to sweep the Chicago area in nearly 2 months.
Latest autumn storm sends 50 mph gusts into four Midwest states
A new autumn storm, which has spun up as the season's coolest air to date has raced into the Midwest from Canada, is behind the windy assault.
A 68 mph gust at Monroe, Wisconsin appeared the region's highest through late Thursday. Other eye-catching velocities included 58 mph at Forest City, Iowa; 53 mph at Freeport, Illinois; 52 mph at Elburn, Illinois and Muscatine, Iowa; and 50 mph at Moline.
In the Chicago area at Minooka, Hinsdale and Harvard, recorded 50 mph gusts, while WeatherBug sensors at Algonquin, Aurora and Lombard clocked 48 mph gusts. A peak wind of 45 mph swept O'Hare.
Waves of lake-effect rain sweeping into Indiana and Michigan Friday to back into Illinois/Wisconsin shorelines Friday night into Saturday
Some sunshine is likely amid powerful wind gusts to 35 and 40 mph as Friday gets underway from Chicago and areas west even as rain showers continue sweeping into the lake-effect belt from northwest Indiana into southwest Michigan---a set-up expected to continue in those areas through the day. Winds ease, but only marginally as Friday proceeds. Gusts topping 30 mph are likely to still be occurring as Friday afternoon arrives.
A gradual shift in winds from the northwest to the north/northeast Friday night and into Saturday is to allow lake-effect rains to build westward, ultimately reaching the Chicago and Illinois/Wisconsin shorelines.
Chicago's 66-degree Thursday high the mildest here in 8 days
Temperatures Friday surged to 73-degrees at Kankakee, 69 at Rockford and to 68 at Gary, Rochelle and Kenosha. A 67-degree high was observed at Sugar Grove while the official peak reading at O'Hare made it to 66-degrees, the site's mildest in 8 days
Measurable Friday rain would be the 7th such occurrence in a row---September's longest string of measurably rainy days in 73 years
Odd are good at least 0.01 inches additional rain will fall at O'Hare by midnight Friday night/Saturday morning. That would mark the 7th consecutive day measurable precipitation has fallen there, a truly rare occurrence this time of year.
Seven consecutive days of measurable September precipitation last occurred at Chicago's official observation site 73 years ago in 1938.
Football fans in for beautiful weather for Sunday's Bears/Panthers game
The blustery, sporadically showery weather predicted over the coming two days exits the metro area for Sunday's Bears/Panthers game. Kickoff weather Sunday is expected to be sunny with a temperature of 58-degrees and a northwest wind of 5 to 12 mph.
Stage set for significant warming next week; longest stretch of 70s in nearly a month could be headed this way
We've repeatedly cited stats here supporting the notion that warm weather's not history here just yet. Last October proved the point. Between Oct. 6-12 a year ago, daily highs reached 78, 76, 79, 86, 84, 82 and 76-degrees.
A potentially extended spell of decidedly warmer weather appears to be taking shape next week. The warming actually begins Sunday when highs are to reach 65-degrees. But a string of 70s appears is predicted from Monday through at least Thursday. The wild card in determining whether this warmth actually comes off revolves around any potential for a "back-door" cool front which might develop to our north then settle across the Chicago area.
This scenario has been introduced by several models from time to time the past few days. But, with the vast majority of other model projections generate forecasts keeping the front to the north and producing little more than lake breezes Tuesday and/or Wednesday next week. This being the case, the chance for a significant string of consecutive 70+ days appears as good as it has for a month!
