By Meteorologist Tom Skilling
You've got to hand it to Chicago autumn weather---it's seldom boring! Take the amazing turn of meteorological events in just the past two weeks. The area's in the midst of a sun-filled, warm spell expected to produce unseasonable 70+-degree highs each of the coming 7 days. And, through it all, not a drop of rain is likely to fall into early next week. If this dry trend holds as predicted, it is to become this area's longest rain-free period in the 7 months since 9 precipitation-free days from March 11-19 this past spring!
The long stretch of poor weather which preceded this "thermal resurgence" was noteworthy in its own right. Not only did last month close after producing Chicago's chilliest September in 10 years, last month ALSO managed the longest streak of measurably rainy September days in 73 years---seven of them! It was those September rains which has pushed Chicago to its current year to date rain tally of 41.76 inches---the city's highest at this point in the year in 141 years of observations.
If the remainder of the year somehow managed to proceed without a single additional drop of rain---a situation with little chance of actually occurring---the 41.76-inch tally would end up ranking 22nd wettest of ALL 141 years on record!
Temperatures surged to 76 at O'Hare Tuesday, the warmest reading in 3 weeks
Chicago's 76-degree high Tuesday was the area's warmest in the 3 weeks since a 71-degree high on Sept. 21. Other Chicago area highs Tuesday included 74-degrees at Midway, 70 at Chicago's lakefront and 75 at Romeoville. Marseilles was home to an 82-degree peak reading while WeatherBug sensors at New Lennox and DeKalb each topped out at 80. Hoffman Estates, Kankakee, Orland Park, Elk Grove Village, University Park and Rensselaer, IN each posted peak readings of 79 while Frankfort, Schererville, Flossmoor, Elgin and Mokena registered highs of 78.
166 of the 176 WeatherBug sites across northern Illinois, southern Wisconsin and northwest Indiana reported afternoon temperatures of 70-degrees and higher Tuesday.
Third consecutive 100 per cent sunny day a good bet; light winds will allow haze to hover over the area
Wednesday dawns sunny and is expected to be the Chicago area's third consecutive 100 percent sunny day. This follows a September which produced only 53 percent of its possible sun compared to the normal of 64 percent.
Light winds have allowed pollutants to build up as evidenced by a yellow haze which hangs over the area.
65 percent of Octobers produce 80-degree and higher temperatures, 2011 among them---but 52 percent have produced flakes of snow
Temperatures in coming days will press ever-closer to 80-degrees in Chicago. An analysis of the city's weather records reveals 65 percent of Octobers since 1871 have produced 80-degree highs.
But October's weather is nothing if not varied. While 80s have occurred in well over half, snow flurries have been spotted in 52 percent of Octobers underscoring the volatility and range of the month's weather.
The second consecutive 70+-degree high at O'Hare Wednesday; third at Midway.
Temperatures head well into the 70s for a second consecutive day at O'Hare Wednesday. At Midway, the tally increases to three 70+-degree days this month.
Light southeast afternoon lake breezes may shave a few degrees off Lake Michigan shoreline temperatures.
Unseasonable warmth, powerful winds and low, desert-level humidities in the Plains send wildfire risk soaring
Winds may be light within the unseasonably warm air mass here in Chicago. That's the last thing that can be said of conditions in the Plains. There, powerful winds are to blow into the weekend in combination with summer-level temperatures---some as high as 95-degrees as at Pierre, South Dakota Tuesday---and desperately low, almost desert-level humidities. It's a formula for wildfires which are able to spread out of control when fanned by winds as strong as those predicted Wednesday.
Dust storms sweep Arizona again slashing visibilities to fractions of a mile and producing traffic accidents
It was airborne dust making news again Tuesday in Arizona. Sent airborne by 50+ mph wind gusts, some produced by showers and thunderstorms in the area, the dust slashed visibilities in spots to 1/8 a mile or less. The result was tragic on Interstate 10 where a series of multi-car accidents resulted in at least 1 death.
Coastal gales and the first winter-like storm pounding the West
The season's first winter storm is roaring off the Pacific and into the West. The storm is to bring chilly, locally heavy low-elevation rains there while heavy snow is to fall on the region's mountain tops. Some high elevation locations may measure snowfall in feet rather than inches as the storm churns from California to Colorado, then northeast into the northern Plains in coming days.
You've got to hand it to Chicago autumn weather---it's seldom boring! Take the amazing turn of meteorological events in just the past two weeks. The area's in the midst of a sun-filled, warm spell expected to produce unseasonable 70+-degree highs each of the coming 7 days. And, through it all, not a drop of rain is likely to fall into early next week. If this dry trend holds as predicted, it is to become this area's longest rain-free period in the 7 months since 9 precipitation-free days from March 11-19 this past spring!
The long stretch of poor weather which preceded this "thermal resurgence" was noteworthy in its own right. Not only did last month close after producing Chicago's chilliest September in 10 years, last month ALSO managed the longest streak of measurably rainy September days in 73 years---seven of them! It was those September rains which has pushed Chicago to its current year to date rain tally of 41.76 inches---the city's highest at this point in the year in 141 years of observations.
If the remainder of the year somehow managed to proceed without a single additional drop of rain---a situation with little chance of actually occurring---the 41.76-inch tally would end up ranking 22nd wettest of ALL 141 years on record!
Temperatures surged to 76 at O'Hare Tuesday, the warmest reading in 3 weeks
Chicago's 76-degree high Tuesday was the area's warmest in the 3 weeks since a 71-degree high on Sept. 21. Other Chicago area highs Tuesday included 74-degrees at Midway, 70 at Chicago's lakefront and 75 at Romeoville. Marseilles was home to an 82-degree peak reading while WeatherBug sensors at New Lennox and DeKalb each topped out at 80. Hoffman Estates, Kankakee, Orland Park, Elk Grove Village, University Park and Rensselaer, IN each posted peak readings of 79 while Frankfort, Schererville, Flossmoor, Elgin and Mokena registered highs of 78.
166 of the 176 WeatherBug sites across northern Illinois, southern Wisconsin and northwest Indiana reported afternoon temperatures of 70-degrees and higher Tuesday.
Third consecutive 100 per cent sunny day a good bet; light winds will allow haze to hover over the area
Wednesday dawns sunny and is expected to be the Chicago area's third consecutive 100 percent sunny day. This follows a September which produced only 53 percent of its possible sun compared to the normal of 64 percent.
Light winds have allowed pollutants to build up as evidenced by a yellow haze which hangs over the area.
65 percent of Octobers produce 80-degree and higher temperatures, 2011 among them---but 52 percent have produced flakes of snow
Temperatures in coming days will press ever-closer to 80-degrees in Chicago. An analysis of the city's weather records reveals 65 percent of Octobers since 1871 have produced 80-degree highs.
But October's weather is nothing if not varied. While 80s have occurred in well over half, snow flurries have been spotted in 52 percent of Octobers underscoring the volatility and range of the month's weather.
The second consecutive 70+-degree high at O'Hare Wednesday; third at Midway.
Temperatures head well into the 70s for a second consecutive day at O'Hare Wednesday. At Midway, the tally increases to three 70+-degree days this month.
Light southeast afternoon lake breezes may shave a few degrees off Lake Michigan shoreline temperatures.
Unseasonable warmth, powerful winds and low, desert-level humidities in the Plains send wildfire risk soaring
Winds may be light within the unseasonably warm air mass here in Chicago. That's the last thing that can be said of conditions in the Plains. There, powerful winds are to blow into the weekend in combination with summer-level temperatures---some as high as 95-degrees as at Pierre, South Dakota Tuesday---and desperately low, almost desert-level humidities. It's a formula for wildfires which are able to spread out of control when fanned by winds as strong as those predicted Wednesday.
Dust storms sweep Arizona again slashing visibilities to fractions of a mile and producing traffic accidents
It was airborne dust making news again Tuesday in Arizona. Sent airborne by 50+ mph wind gusts, some produced by showers and thunderstorms in the area, the dust slashed visibilities in spots to 1/8 a mile or less. The result was tragic on Interstate 10 where a series of multi-car accidents resulted in at least 1 death.
Coastal gales and the first winter-like storm pounding the West
The season's first winter storm is roaring off the Pacific and into the West. The storm is to bring chilly, locally heavy low-elevation rains there while heavy snow is to fall on the region's mountain tops. Some high elevation locations may measure snowfall in feet rather than inches as the storm churns from California to Colorado, then northeast into the northern Plains in coming days.
