Good morning, all! In case you're looking to follow along with Hurricane Earl, here is a link which will give you some more information!

http://www.noaawatch.gov/2010/tc_at07.php

Tracy

Hot weather stats and facts and thunderstorm threats

It has been a fascinating summer weather wise especially when you consider how hot it has been but yet not oppressively so. We have reached the 90° mark 20 times this year which is the most we have seen since 2005.

 Though it has been hot this summer we have seen a real lack of extreme heat. The highest reading we saw all summer is 94° which happened just this past Sunday and back on July 23rd. The last time we saw a day that was 95° or hotter was back on August 2, 2006; more than four years ago. This is the longest stretch without hitting at least 95° in Chicago recorded history.

  Rainfall for the month of August is running more than 2.50" below normal but wet weather appears to be on the way. A cool front will stall out in the area on Wednesday morning and as several impulses travel along this front we have a very good chance of seeing soaking rains Wednesday into Thursday.

 Right now the weekend looks dry and much cooler. By Friday or Saturday we may see the coolest reading in three months, but with sunshine and highs in the 70's it looks like a great Labor Day weekend.

  Phil

Feeling HOT & muggy again

After a beautiful day on Saturday with highs across the region in the mid-80s to low 90s, it will start to feel more like mid-summer today.  Temps will top in the low 90s, howerver, dewpoints on the rise will make it feel muggy again.  Dewpoints in the 40s and 50s made Saturday's highs feel much more comfortable.  Sunday's rising dewpoints combined with the hot temps will push our heat index readings into the mid-90s.  For those counting down to autumn, Sept. 22 is the day to count down to.  The 7 day forecast keeps the heat in the picture Monday and Tuesday with highs near 90 each day with chances of showers breaking things up on Tuesday night through Thursday.  Expect highs on Wednesday in the mid-80s, low-80s on Thursday, then look for pleasant weather Friday and Saturday with highs topping in the mid to upper 70s.  Have a wonderful week!  MARK BISHOP

A great start to the weekend.

SATURDAY, AUGUST 28, 2010
Saturday promises to be another nice day, but expect a warming trend over the weekend as temps will surge closer to 90 especially on Sunday. With high pressure still in control over the region, look for plenty of sunshine and stable conditions. The south wind will help temps rise into the mid to upper 80s on Saturday and around 90 degrees on Sunday. The best chance for rain will likely come Tuesday night into Wednesday. The warm to hot weather looks short lived as highs appear to be on a down trend Monday through Friday. Look for highs in the mid to upper 80s on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, but temps slide back down in the 70s for highs on Thursday and Friday. Be sure to tune into ABC 7 this weekend for updates. MARK BISHOP

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Watch over... early

The Severe Thunderstorm Watch has been cancelled for all of Chicagoland as of 7:30.  During the epic collapse of the earlier storms, downdraft winds gusted to 37mph at DeKalb Municipal Airport.  A few showers have been scattered this evening, but the heaviest rain is due during the overnight hours. Local amounts of more than 2" will be possible.

Mike

4:15 Update

The Severe Thunderstorm Watch has been cancelled for most of Chicagoland.  It will remain in effect for McHenry, DeKalb, La Salle and counties north west of there until 8pm.  The storms have weakened considerably, and while rain and some embedded thunder will be possible late this afternoon, the main "show" look on tap for later tonight.  Heavy rainfall, which has been my primary concern all along, is still a VERY REAL possibility.  PWATs, (precipitable water values, for you non weather geeks!!!) are sky high, meaning flooding rains are a threat.

Mike

3:00 update

Severe Thunderstorms are clobbering parts of western Illinois with damaging winds.  The Watch remains in effect for Chicagoland (excluding IN counties so far) until 8pm.  Two clusters of storms may be trying to coalesce into a squall line which could threaten the western portions of the ABC-7 viewing area starting around 4:00.  If that line holds together, the storms would sweep through during rush hour.

Mike

Back to the 90s, storm threaten

For the 19th time this year, Chicago has registered a high of 90 degrees or better.  Humidity levels, while noticeable, should not lead to any heat advisories this afternoon.  Of more concern is the potential for thunderstorms, especially late this afternoon and overnight.  A couple of areas of low pressure lurk to our west. One will pass to our north, the other just to our south by tomorrow afternoon. These disturbances are already triggering thunderstorms, some of which have crossed the Mississippi River into western Illinois as of 1:30 this afternoon. A few of those storms could reach Chicagoland before nightfall.  A Severe Thunderstorm watch has been hoisted for us until 8pm.  While I have been more concerned with the heavy-rain potential here, strong winds may accompany some of the storms.  It looks like the risk of storms will linger until around midday tomorrow, with the passage of a cold front ending those chances from northwest to southeast during the day.  Temperatures behind this front will only be a few degrees cooler than today,a lthough areas close to the lake may benefit both tomorrow and Sunday. A stronger push of cooler air will arrive Wednesday, but even then, it only looks like a return to "normal" temperatures, with highs in the upper 70s to near 80.

Mike

HEAT AND HUMIDITY FOLLOWED BY SOME HEFTY STORMS

This afternoon's temperature is expected to top ninety degrees making it the 19th time this summer we have seen temperatures at or above 90°. In addition, the humidity will be quite high making it feel like it's close to 100°.

   A disturbance traveling along an approaching cold front will bring us some thunderstorms tonight and there is the possibilty of some localized flooding. The good news is that the weather has been pretty dry the last several weeks with only 1.32" of rain this month which is not even half of what we normally see by this date. The ground should be able to absorb a lot of the rain that falls but with several inches possible flooding is still a possibility.

 Things should settle down by tomorrow afternoon and Sunday looks sensational. After a warm weekend the weather will turn hotter again early next week before we see a nice cooling trend beginning Wednesday.

  Phil

Heat and humidity to return

Skies range from clear to cloudy as of 2pm in Chicagoland. The last vestiges of last night's sprinkle maker have left just enough moisture to produce a patch of cloud cover covering about 1/4 of the area at any given time.  Highs have rebounded back into familiar territory, crossing the 80-degree mark for the 47 time in the past 48 days.  We'll have no problem extending that streak for the next 7 days, as near-90-degree readings return over the next few days. This afternoon, a cold front stretches across the Upper Midwest and will spark strong to severe thunderstorms in Minnesota.  That front is southbound, and its proximity to the Cheddar Curtain may lead to storms late tomorrow in the far northern suburbs.  At this time, I expect the vast majority of the activity to remain in Wisconsin, however.  Friday brings a greater chance of storms, especially at night.  A Pacific cold front will move into the region triggering a few showers and storms.  The air behind that front will not be much cooler, so weekend temperatures will remain well into the 80s.  There are some signs of a brief intrusion of bona fide "cool" air for the end of next week.  Nationally, I'll be showing some amazing dust storm video from Arizona and we'll talk about the deluge that has hit parts of the lower Mississippi Valley due to the remnants of a weak tropical depression.

Mike