WHERE'S SUMMER?

We're up, we're down, we're all around with these temperatures. So, we have had something to please everyone...or NOT!  It's too cool, it's too hot, it's too wet.  And this morning, I had the opportunity to talk with Jennifer Brennan, horticulturist from Chalet Nursery in Wilmette.  Jennifer says the weather has really impacted many gardens.  (Well weather always impacts our plants, but it's been extreme this year)

If you would like more information about the most common problems she is seeing and the solutions, go to our website which is abc7chicago.com    Just one issue has been the impact of the weather on roses.  Blame the rose slug...then, blame the weather.

Tracy

As expected... a drop in humidity today!!!

Dew points, one of the more meaningful measurements of atmospheric moisture, have fallen from tropical low 70s of the past few days to more tolerable mid 60s today.  Yesterday's predicted 10-degree range in temps between the lakefront and inland locations came true, along with only spotty thunderstorms.  Tomorrow, humidity levels will rise again, fueling thunderstorms which will erupt along an approaching cold front.  That front will usher in a more significant drop in temps and humidity for Sunday into early next week.

Mike

New Watch Issued

A Severe Thunderstorm Watch is now in effect for the ABC-7 viewing area until 9pm.  Large hail and damaging winds will be possible in the stronger cells.

Quiet so far... except...

One isolated storm has flared up near Beach Park, Zion and Winthrop Harbor and will be moving out into the lake shortly after 2:15.  Other activity is along and west of the MS river between Dubuque and Moline heading east-southeast.

Severe Storm Risk

A Severe Thunderstorm Watch is in effect well west of Chicago until 7pm. The watch includes Livingston and La Salle Counties and points west.  Large hail and damaging winds will be the primary threats with the storms which are now forming in Iowa as of 1pm.

Mike

Heat Advisory Issued

For the 3rd straight day, the combo platter of heat and humidity has prompted the issuance of a Heat Advisory for a large portion of the Chicago area.  If your county touches Lake Michigan, technically you're exempt... but that doesn't mean it won't still be oppressive in parts of Lake and Cook County several miles inland.  We'll be watching out for towering cumulus clouds as the first sign of an encore of yesterday's lake breeze thunderstorms.  There is also a weak cold front swinging into the area from the northwest which might trigger thunderstorms as well.  Hot again tomorrow, though not nearly as humid.

Mike

Drenching storms fire up along lake breeze

A well-defined easterly lake breeze has intersected west winds and produced enough surface convergence to build a line of slow-moving thunderstorms.  Cook county will be under a Flash Flood Warning until 7:45pm due to the torrential downpours fed by this tropical air mass.  The storms are pulse type, meaning they will flare up then die off rather rapidly over any one area.  Watch out for standing water and the potential for damaging winds with these cells.

Mike

WHO'S COMPLAININ'?

Good day!  Numerous folks have said to me since summer arrived, "I'm not going to complain."  But, it's been since September 2, 2008 that we last had a temperature in the 90s.  It was 94 degrees on that day.  We really haven't had a stretch of very hot and very humid days here and many of us are just not acclimated.  But, from all signs, it appears we'll have plenty of time to get acclimated over the next few weeks.  I agree with my colleague, Mr. Caplan, who professed in the blog before this one that it appears the pattern is now setting up for summer conditions to become entrenched with occasional flirtations with thunderstorms.  We are not seeing days on end of persistent rainfall as had been the case in the "spring of 2009." 

I have heard from folks who have access to a swimming pool and they are THRILLED with this heat.  Jumping in to that refreshing pool can be a sweet feeling.  Temperatures along the Chicago shore right now are around 67 degrees.  Over in Michigan City, if you REALLY want a chill, jump into the lake where the water temperature is about 52 degrees!  And yes, if I jumped into the lake over there, I WOULD be the one WHO'S COMPLAININ'!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Tracy

 

Summer is here... big time.

For those who have been longing for an escape from our Spring mired in 60s and 70s, here ya go!  Look for highs within a few degrees of 90 either way right into next week at least. Other then some limited lake cooling, most areas will see 90 or better tomorrow and Wednesday.  This pattern looks to hold for most of the next two weeks in fact, tempered only by occasional and possibly torrential-rain-making t-storms. 

Mike

Friday's amazing rainstorms

I always find it fascinating how thunderstorms can produce so much rain in one spot while just a few miles away hardly any rain falls. This happened last Friday when several waves of thunderstorms moved across Northern Kane, Northen DuPage, Northern Cook, McHenry and Lake counties. The first batch of storms went through during the wee hours of the morning with the second batch arriving just before noon. The third and final round of storms moved across the area during the early evening hours. Officially at O'Hare we saw an impressive 3.97" of rain making it the third wettest day ever recorded in the month of June. While rainfall amount approached nearly 5 inches across parts of Northern Cook county less than a quarter of an inch fell in places like Hinsdale and Downers Grove just 20 to 25 miles south of the heavy rain corridor.

  The strongest storms occurred in the evening with widespread wind damage reported. In Woodstock a tornado actually touched down producing winds as high as 100 mph. This twister was on the ground for 3/4 of a mile and did damage several buildings but did not cause any injuries.

                                                                                         Phil