SATURDAY, JANUARY 23, 2010
Good Saturday everyone!
We don't have to worry about the bitter chills of winter weather this weekend as mild highs will reach into the 40s. But we will have the chance of heavy rain Saturday night in through Sunday. Rain totals could reach at .25-.50". Watch out for areas that could flood as rain the rain falls and the snow pack melts. As the new week begins the return of winter temperatures are back with a chance of light snow showers Monday into Tuesday. Make sure you keep the warm coats handy as the rest of the week looks chilly with highs only topping in the 20s. Have a great weekend! MARK BISHOP

FRIDAY, JANUARY 22, 2010

Good morning!  Did you breathe a sigh of relief when you saw the forecast today?  I did!  Well, I knew that today would be virtually precipitation free, with the exception of a little mist at times, but no forecast today with freezing rain!  YEAH! 

But this weekend, get ready for just plain ol' rain!  While tomorrow will feel mild, temperature-wise, it will become windy and it appears that tomorrow evening, some heavy rain will be moving in.  That rain will continue thru Sunday morning with models suggesting we will pick up generally around 1/2" of rain.   

Next week, is looking seasonably colder!  Highs in the 20s and lows in the teens.  Have a wonderful weekend and don't leave home without the umbrella!

Tracy

THURSDAY, JANUARY 21, 2010

Just a little weather note….

Rain is beginning to move into the forecast area. This rain will be mixed with ice pellets, and at times has the potential to be freezing rain. This will move in to the city this afternoon and primarily impact the city, west and south suburbs thru the afternoon commute. (A little will move into the northern suburbs). As the main system, which is well south of Chicago, pulls east, it will pull most of the precipitation with it. Patchy freezing drizzle is possible overnight.  Just a little reminder that if you're running out to the mailbox, your driveway or sidewalk could be slippery.   

Tomorrow should be a fairly windy day, prior to the arrival of a system coming off the west coast which could provide some heavy rain in our area over the weekend.

Tracy 

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2010

http://www.crh.noaa.gov/news/display_cmsstory.php?wfo=lot&storyid=46347&source=0

Good morning!

Lots to talk about today. 

1) Let's address today and tomorrow.  FREEZING RAIN ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 6AM THURSDAY.  Warm air is overriding some cold air at the surface.  With this cold air being trapped at the surface the precipitation is warm enough aloft to fall as rain, but because of the surface temperatures, that rain is going to freeze on impact.  Although the forecast is for minimal amounts of precipitation, even the lightest amount of ice is enough to cause a fall on a sidewalk or some icy spots on especially untreated roads and bridges.  Tomorrow and Friday are also looking quite windy and blustery.  It is very possible that we will see some light snow here Friday morning.

2) The above link is about "Chicago's coldest day."  Where were you on January 20, 1985?  Well, if you were in Chicago, you may remember that brutally cold day.  Click on the above "weather rewind" for a trip down memory lane.

Tracy

MONDAY, JANUARY 18, 2009

Greetings on this Dr. Martin Luther King Junior Day. 

Please be aware of the phenomenon known as freezing fog.  It happens when you have minute water droplets which cool below freezing.  This can result in the beautiful draping of an icy coating on trees or it can result in the terrible issue of ice on road surfaces. 

I anticipate the potential for more freezing fog tonight.

Tracy

FRIDAY, JANUARY 15, 2010

Good morning.  Are you enjoying our little thaw?  The snow has SLOWLY been melting, but I do think we will see it melting a little more rapidly over the weekend.  In case you're keeping score, last year January 1-15th, we had measured 18.0" of snow.  So far this month, 7.5" of snow has fallen (at O'Hare).  Normally, during the month of January we record 11.3" of snow.  And while, I don't see any major snowstorms in the seven-day forecast period, don't worry you snow lovers, there is plenty of winter still left.

Have a nice weekend.

Tracy

Milder TFN

It looks like the warmer weather pattern for most of the country is locked in for two weeks.  Computer modelling offers a few quibbles as to the strength of the warmup here, but I don't see a day in the next 10 days at least that will have colder-than-normal temperatures in Chicago.  We still have plenty of snow to melt, and with all of that cold air near the ground, it will be difficult to realize the full potential heating of the atmosphere.  The next chance of significant precipitation looked to be next Wednesday at this time yesterday.  Now, that storm has been taken off the table by most models.  So the relatively quiet forecast goes on unabated. 

Mike

JANUARY 14, 2009

Good morning.  My deepest prayers to any of you who may have family and friends in Haiti.  I am terribly saddened about your ordeal and the ordeal that so many human beings are having to endure. 

I pray that you are able to make contact with those whom you are concerned for and that you take comfort in knowing that people really do care.

Tracy

JANUARY 13, 2010....FEELIN' GROOVY

I find the word "groovy" to be so versatile.  It can describe your mood, the weather,or the tie that Mike Caplan is wearing during his weather broadcasts.  Perhaps it's my love for The Brady Bunch or the Partridge Family that causes me to find this word so useful.  (I so wanted to be Marcia Brady or Laurie Partridge.  hmmm...which Brady or Partridge brother would Mike Caplan want to be?)

Anyway, I personally do think it's groovy that we are going to see our temps above average for a while.  Although there are some who would not choose to apply that word to our upcoming thaw.  In fact, my daughter is disappointed with the upcoming "warmth" as she wants to make use of that new sled.  She is not someone who is using the word "groovy" to describe the upswing in our numbers. Perhaps I should introduce her to the "Brady Bunch."

Tracy

Let the Thaw Begin!

There will be minor fluctuations in the temperatures over the next week and a half, but the flavor will be decidedly milder.  Air flowing in from the Pacific will begin to dominate the weather pattern over the lower 48, replacing the arctic attack which has had most of the northern hemisphere in it's grasp for most of the year. Tomorrow will bring more cloud cover and some light drizzle, which could freeze on surfaces in the morning, so be careful walking and driving on what could be slippery pavement.  The air mass which will be in place might normally produce high temperatures close to 50, but all of that snow on the ground will severely impede the warmup.  But, I think most will be happy with highs in the mid to upper 30s, with 40+ temperatures possible next week in particular.  My colleague Tracy Butler calls this thaw "groovy."  I am inclined to agree with her sound judgement and homage to Austin Powers.

Mike