By Meteorologist Tom Skillng
Rain fell hard across the Chicago area much of Tuesday. By the evening, 1.42 inches had come down at O'Hare and 1.29 inches at Midway---easily the biggest calendar day rains at the city sites since July 23 when 6.86 inches fell.
The powerful storm responsible for the Chicago area's downpours unleashed a swarm of twisters across sections of east Texas and far southern Oklahoma---a state mired in devastating drought only months ago and at the receiving end of drenching rains topping 6 inches in recent days at some locations. The ten twister reports filed with NOAA's Storm Prediction Center included accounts of damage and power outages.
Rain on the storm's backside had switched to snow late Tuesday and was accumulating within an expanding corridor from eastern Kansas to northwest Missouri and southern Iowa. The threat of the season's first accumulating snow prompted winter weather advisories from Iowa north into Wisconsin and Upper Michigan where they blended into winter storm warnings.
Storm's final rain tallies may equal November's full month 3.15-inch tally; more than half a typical November's rain had fallen by late Tuesday in only a day
With rain intensity and coverage increasing again late Tuesday, it was clear the Chicago area hadn't seen the last of the storm's rains. Additional rainfall and embedded thunderstorms threatened and inch or more of new rain as the intensifying storm continued on a northeast trek from west of St. Louis late Tuesday to near Chicago Wednesday morning. Prospects of additional rain seemed likely to take final storm totals to within striking distance of November's normal 3.15 inch full month tally.
Here are some of Tuesday's most impressive rainfalls through 9 p.m.
Among the more impressive totals observed Tuesday was the 1.90 inches measured at Aurora; 1.70 inches Glenview; 1.42 inches O'Hare; 1.51 inches St. Charles; 1.42 inches OakBrook; 1.28 inches Wilmette, and 1.21 inches at DeKalb.
Brief 60s only a tease Wednesday; temperatures here set to plunge 26-degrees in just 8 hours amid 40+ mph gusts!
The latest fall storm's "warm sector"---a prod of mild air which floods up the east side of many storms, often fueling t-storms while wrapping moisture into such systems' backside snows---is to send a brief but noticeable surge of warm into at least a portion of the metro area---primarily from the city and south suburban locations Wednesday morning. Some 60-degree temperatures are possible before winds shift west and strengthen, sending temperatures diving the remainder of Wednesday into Thursday.
If the scenario unfolds as currently predicted, falling temperatures will take readings from 26-degrees lower by mid and late afternoon, situating readings in the upper 30s at a number of locations before sunset. These would be the coldest daytime readings since April.
Temp dive sets the stage for the first flurries in nearly 7 months
The temperature plunge appears impressive enough to mix or change rain over to snow flurries at a number of locations for the first time in the young 2011-12 snow season. The last snowflakes to fall in the city came down in April---7 months ago.
Bering Sea "Super-Storm" among most intense on record there; responsible for western Alaska white-out blizzard conditions, 18 inches of snow and serious coastal erosion
A mammoth storm, dubbed the Bering Sea "super storm" is threatening western Alaska with blizzard conditions, hurricane force wind gusts and snow accumulations up to 18 inches. At the center of the area most threatened is Nome, on the state's northwest coastline. Forecasters are calling it one of the worst Bering Sea storms ever recorded.
Its coastal waves are to tower up to 25 feet and its storm surge is to reach 8 to 10 feet, threatening serious coastal damage. The storm's central barometric pressure dipped to 946 mb (27.94 inches) Tuesday---equaling the pressure found in a Category 3 hurricane.
The storm is reported to have produced wind gusts near 100 mph.
Rain fell hard across the Chicago area much of Tuesday. By the evening, 1.42 inches had come down at O'Hare and 1.29 inches at Midway---easily the biggest calendar day rains at the city sites since July 23 when 6.86 inches fell.
The powerful storm responsible for the Chicago area's downpours unleashed a swarm of twisters across sections of east Texas and far southern Oklahoma---a state mired in devastating drought only months ago and at the receiving end of drenching rains topping 6 inches in recent days at some locations. The ten twister reports filed with NOAA's Storm Prediction Center included accounts of damage and power outages.
Rain on the storm's backside had switched to snow late Tuesday and was accumulating within an expanding corridor from eastern Kansas to northwest Missouri and southern Iowa. The threat of the season's first accumulating snow prompted winter weather advisories from Iowa north into Wisconsin and Upper Michigan where they blended into winter storm warnings.
Storm's final rain tallies may equal November's full month 3.15-inch tally; more than half a typical November's rain had fallen by late Tuesday in only a day
With rain intensity and coverage increasing again late Tuesday, it was clear the Chicago area hadn't seen the last of the storm's rains. Additional rainfall and embedded thunderstorms threatened and inch or more of new rain as the intensifying storm continued on a northeast trek from west of St. Louis late Tuesday to near Chicago Wednesday morning. Prospects of additional rain seemed likely to take final storm totals to within striking distance of November's normal 3.15 inch full month tally.
Here are some of Tuesday's most impressive rainfalls through 9 p.m.
Among the more impressive totals observed Tuesday was the 1.90 inches measured at Aurora; 1.70 inches Glenview; 1.42 inches O'Hare; 1.51 inches St. Charles; 1.42 inches OakBrook; 1.28 inches Wilmette, and 1.21 inches at DeKalb.
Brief 60s only a tease Wednesday; temperatures here set to plunge 26-degrees in just 8 hours amid 40+ mph gusts!
The latest fall storm's "warm sector"---a prod of mild air which floods up the east side of many storms, often fueling t-storms while wrapping moisture into such systems' backside snows---is to send a brief but noticeable surge of warm into at least a portion of the metro area---primarily from the city and south suburban locations Wednesday morning. Some 60-degree temperatures are possible before winds shift west and strengthen, sending temperatures diving the remainder of Wednesday into Thursday.If the scenario unfolds as currently predicted, falling temperatures will take readings from 26-degrees lower by mid and late afternoon, situating readings in the upper 30s at a number of locations before sunset. These would be the coldest daytime readings since April.
Temp dive sets the stage for the first flurries in nearly 7 months
The temperature plunge appears impressive enough to mix or change rain over to snow flurries at a number of locations for the first time in the young 2011-12 snow season. The last snowflakes to fall in the city came down in April---7 months ago.
Bering Sea "Super-Storm" among most intense on record there; responsible for western Alaska white-out blizzard conditions, 18 inches of snow and serious coastal erosion
A mammoth storm, dubbed the Bering Sea "super storm" is threatening western Alaska with blizzard conditions, hurricane force wind gusts and snow accumulations up to 18 inches. At the center of the area most threatened is Nome, on the state's northwest coastline. Forecasters are calling it one of the worst Bering Sea storms ever recorded.
Its coastal waves are to tower up to 25 feet and its storm surge is to reach 8 to 10 feet, threatening serious coastal damage. The storm's central barometric pressure dipped to 946 mb (27.94 inches) Tuesday---equaling the pressure found in a Category 3 hurricane.
The storm is reported to have produced wind gusts near 100 mph.
