By Meteorologist Tom Skilling
The surge of warmth which has buoyed Chicagoans' spirits coming off one of the rainiest late September periods in 73 years, isn't anywhere near being finished. A spectacular weekend with temperatures befitting late August more than early October lies ahead. Friday's strengthening winds are to spill into Saturday. But a southeasterly component to the wind Friday means immediate lakeshore areas may be visited by modest, localized lake cooling in the afternoon. The emergence of a more south to southwest component to Saturday's winds is likely to overcome lake cooling at that time, pushing 80s into area beaches and lakeshore locations.
There's growing evidence the unseasonably warm pattern may not break until a Wednesday night frontal passage takes place, introducing several days of noticeably cooler northwest winds. There are hints warming may occur once again next weekend.
The current warm spell parallels a comparably warm period which occurred here a year ago. The area was in a second day of a spell of 7--degree+ temperatures which ran from Oct. 6-12. That warm-up included three 80+ degree days.
Chicago temperatures top 80 a second consecutive day Thursday, topping highs in perennial warm spots, including Las Vegas, Phoenix, Los Angeles and San Diego
For a second consecutive day Thursday, O'Hare's high temperature topped 80-degrees. Highs reached 81 there and at Midway Airport as well.
The reading equaled Chicago's "normal" high on Aug. 28 and was 15-degrees higher than average!
The 81 degree reading meant temperatures here topped Thursday highs in perennially warm cities, including Phoenix (76), Las Vegas (65), Los Angeles (65), San Diego (66), San Diego (66) and Palm Springs, CA (76).
80 or higher temps occurred at 79 of the 173 WeatherBug sites across northern Illinois, southeast Wisconsin and northwest Indiana Thursday. Highs reached the 80s in sections of 31 states.
Chicago area highs included 82 at Kankakee, Rochelle and Romeoville, and reached 81 at Rockford, Sugar Grove and Morris.
Thursday's fifth consecutive 100 percent sunny day was the longest such spell of any here over the past 18 years
There wasn't a cloud in the sky Thursday. It led to Chicago being credited with 100 percent of its possible sunshine for a fifth consecutive day. A check of weather records here reveals it's the first set of five completely sunny days in 18 years.
In an average year, 46 days (13 percent of them) in Chicago record 100 percent of their possible sun. Conversely, 44 days (12 percent) see no sun because of clouds.
Plains blasted by non-t-storm gusts topping 70 mph before severe storms erupt, generating 86 mph gusts in South Dakota
Plains weather was a study in contrasts Thursday. While non-thunderstorm wind gusts generated gusts to 70 mph in sections of Nebraska and Kansas, severe weather followed late in the day. The storms in that outbreak produced gusts as high as 86 mph in South Dakota and 77 mph in Wyoming.
Florida/Georgia in for days of wind-whipped waves and rains this weekend; local 6+ inch totals and 40-60+ mph coastal gusts, 12+ ft seas not out of the question
Weather trouble are only beginning across Florida and sections of Georgia where howling east winds may top 40 mph in coming days subjecting the eastern coastlines of these states to huge swells (12 ft. or higher) and accompanying beach erosion while clusters of downpour-generating t-storms drenched some sections of the state with 6 or more inches of rain.
The Southeast system will contribute to our run of warm, dry weather in the Chicago area as air vented out its top migrates north and sinks, strengthening the high pressure within which our sunny, warm weather is occurring.
The surge of warmth which has buoyed Chicagoans' spirits coming off one of the rainiest late September periods in 73 years, isn't anywhere near being finished. A spectacular weekend with temperatures befitting late August more than early October lies ahead. Friday's strengthening winds are to spill into Saturday. But a southeasterly component to the wind Friday means immediate lakeshore areas may be visited by modest, localized lake cooling in the afternoon. The emergence of a more south to southwest component to Saturday's winds is likely to overcome lake cooling at that time, pushing 80s into area beaches and lakeshore locations.
There's growing evidence the unseasonably warm pattern may not break until a Wednesday night frontal passage takes place, introducing several days of noticeably cooler northwest winds. There are hints warming may occur once again next weekend.
The current warm spell parallels a comparably warm period which occurred here a year ago. The area was in a second day of a spell of 7--degree+ temperatures which ran from Oct. 6-12. That warm-up included three 80+ degree days.
Chicago temperatures top 80 a second consecutive day Thursday, topping highs in perennial warm spots, including Las Vegas, Phoenix, Los Angeles and San Diego
For a second consecutive day Thursday, O'Hare's high temperature topped 80-degrees. Highs reached 81 there and at Midway Airport as well.
The reading equaled Chicago's "normal" high on Aug. 28 and was 15-degrees higher than average!
The 81 degree reading meant temperatures here topped Thursday highs in perennially warm cities, including Phoenix (76), Las Vegas (65), Los Angeles (65), San Diego (66), San Diego (66) and Palm Springs, CA (76).
80 or higher temps occurred at 79 of the 173 WeatherBug sites across northern Illinois, southeast Wisconsin and northwest Indiana Thursday. Highs reached the 80s in sections of 31 states.
Chicago area highs included 82 at Kankakee, Rochelle and Romeoville, and reached 81 at Rockford, Sugar Grove and Morris.
Thursday's fifth consecutive 100 percent sunny day was the longest such spell of any here over the past 18 years
There wasn't a cloud in the sky Thursday. It led to Chicago being credited with 100 percent of its possible sunshine for a fifth consecutive day. A check of weather records here reveals it's the first set of five completely sunny days in 18 years.
In an average year, 46 days (13 percent of them) in Chicago record 100 percent of their possible sun. Conversely, 44 days (12 percent) see no sun because of clouds.
Plains blasted by non-t-storm gusts topping 70 mph before severe storms erupt, generating 86 mph gusts in South Dakota
Plains weather was a study in contrasts Thursday. While non-thunderstorm wind gusts generated gusts to 70 mph in sections of Nebraska and Kansas, severe weather followed late in the day. The storms in that outbreak produced gusts as high as 86 mph in South Dakota and 77 mph in Wyoming.
Florida/Georgia in for days of wind-whipped waves and rains this weekend; local 6+ inch totals and 40-60+ mph coastal gusts, 12+ ft seas not out of the question
Weather trouble are only beginning across Florida and sections of Georgia where howling east winds may top 40 mph in coming days subjecting the eastern coastlines of these states to huge swells (12 ft. or higher) and accompanying beach erosion while clusters of downpour-generating t-storms drenched some sections of the state with 6 or more inches of rain.
The Southeast system will contribute to our run of warm, dry weather in the Chicago area as air vented out its top migrates north and sinks, strengthening the high pressure within which our sunny, warm weather is occurring.
