Watch in Effect Too

A Severe Thunderstorm Watch is in effect for Chicagoland until 11:00.  However, the threat of severe thunderstorms will be over WAYYYYYYYY before than here as the line races off to the east.

http://www.spc.noaa.gov/products/watch/ww0408.html

Mike

Warnings issued

T-storm warnings now up until 3:15 for portions of Cook, Du Page, Lake, DeKalb, Kane , Kendall, and La Salle Counites.  Here's the map with the area highlighted in orange.http://www.crh.noaa.gov/lot/

Watch possible

The Storm Prediction Center (SPC) has highlighted the Chicago area as being under the risk of a possible Severe Thunderstorm Watch this afternoon.  No Watch is in effect as of 1:25 as I write this, but stay tuned. Damaging wind gusts would be the primary threat.

Mike

From soggy to sultry

Not quite a movie title but it does accurately depict what is going on in our weather. Nearly two inches of rain fell Sunday officially at O'Hare with 3.12" in Elburn. In just the last five days more than five inches of rain has fallen with 7.19" being measured for the entire month of May. This makes the current month the fifth wettest May in Chicago history. The rainiest May on record occurred in 1945 when we saw 7.59" for the month. There is a chance for a brief thunderstorm on Tuesday which would move us even farther up the list but it is unlikely that we would end up overtaking the monthly rainfall record for May.

 Now for the heat. A strong warm front is moving through the area tonight and what a difference it will mean to our weather come Memorial Day. After grey skies and temperatures only in the 60s the first two days of this holiday weekend, temperatures will be nearly 30 degree warmer Monday along with plenty of sunshine. This is the start of a significant pattern change which will mean highs for at least the next seven days will be primarily in the 80s to low 90s! Though there could be a few bouts of thunderstorms much of the week looks dry.

                                                 Phil

Memorial Day Weekend

First I'd like to recognize all those who fought and continue to fight for our country.  Thanks for the wonderful gift of freedom!  The transition into unofficial summer traditionally begins over memorial day weekend.  The BBQs will be firing up for the first time for many people!  After a disappointing high of only 58 yesterday, it will start feeling like summer by memorial day with steamy highs in the upper 80s to low 90s on Monday.  First though, scattered showers stay in the forecast both Saturday and Sunday.  While Saturday's forecast appears dry most of the day, an approaching warm front will increase our chances for thunderstorms as the day progresses.  Pockets of heavy rain are possible Saturday overnight.  The first half of the day Sunday will also bring in the best chances of showers too.  Memorial Day Monday appears to be sunny and HOT with a high of 92!  Here's your forecast for the rest of the week; Tuesday (high/low) 87/70, mostly sunny with a slight chance of showers, Wednesday 77/61, sunny, Thursday 75/59, mostly sunny with a slight chance of showers, Friday 76/56 a slight chance of showers under partly sunny skies.  Have a wonderful holiday weekend--be safe!  MARK BISHOP

Some wind, some hail but no tornadoes...

That pretty well sums up the severe weather in our area Sunday. Large hail was reported on Chicago's southside, Lombard, Villa Park and Beecher. Wind damage was also reported in the communties of Hebron in Illinois and in Kankakee. The worst damage in Northern Illinois was up in Rockford where wind gusts to 70 mph uprooted trees and damaged a few buildings.

 The cold front won't clear our area until Monday evening so a few additional thunderstorms are possible, but the best dynamics for severe weather have moved off to the east. Once this front moves through sharply cooler weather will return on Tuesday with highs only in the 60s through at least Thursday.

 The good news is that conditions should improve for the Memorial Day weekend with highs in the upper 70s to mid 80s and dry conditions returning.

 

                                                                             Phil

Warm & Breezy weekend

After highs in the mid 40s to low 50s last weekend, this weekend should be a crowd pleaser!  Highs will surge into the upper 70s to low 80s across the area with breezy SE winds on Saturday and breezy SW winds on Sunday with highs in the mid 80s.  There will be chances of scattered thundershowers throughout the area this weekend, but it appears there will be more dry periods than wet ones.  Looks like a weekend to catch up in the garden or any other outdoor job on the "honey-do" list.

Here are the details of the 7 day forecast.  Saturday:  Partly sunny and breezy with a chance of a thundershower 80/51(high/low), Sunday: Partly sunny and breezy with a chance of a shower 85/61, Monday: Partly sunny and warm with a chance of a shower 81/63, Tuesday: Mostly cloudy and cooler with a chance of rain 58/49, Wednesday: Mostly cloudy with a chance of rain 62/47, Mostly sunny 66/50, Friday: Sunny 70/52.  Enjoy your weekend.   Be safe!  MARK BISHOP

Frost threat tonight

There might have been frost this morning were it not for the strength of the winds keeping the air fairly well mixed. Despite that, the mercury tanked into the 30s over most of the area, including 32 at Aurora and 34 at West Chicago.  Only urban areas held in the 40s.  Tonight, as cold high pressure sits to our north, winds should be lighter, allowing what little heat from the day we enjoy to shoot out into space.  I will not be surprised to see some kind of Frost Advisory issued for parts of Chicagoland this evening.  If you have annuals in pots, you may need to bring them in tonight... if they're in the ground already, you can protect them by covering them with an old sheet or blanket until shortly after sunrise tomorrow.  Bulbs like tulips will NOT be affected by the chill, nor will cold-hardy flowers like pansies.  Most trees are already past the bud-break stage meaning frost will have less damaging impact on blossoms.  You might notice some edge browning on petals if frost affects your area, but that should be it. 

Warmer days lie ahead.  By the end of the week, 70s will return. There will be a price to pay for the warmup (isn't there always?). Scattered showers and thunderstorms will punctuate the upcoming weekend.  I'll the latest thinking on that coming up at 4:00 on the ABC7 Mothership.

Mike

MONDAY, MAY 17, 2011

Good morning.  What a crazy week?  Didn't it almost seem like we squeezed four seasons into one week last week?  The weather roller coaster has certainly been open for business in Chicago. 

Inauguration Day is today for Chicago's new mayor, Rahm Emanuel, and it's too bad we can't inaugurate some new, warmer weather into the forecast.  Average high today is 70 degrees, but we will be short of that by about 15 degrees.  And this morning we did drop into the 30s. Now cold weather hasn't been foreign here to Chicago this May and in fact, we did drop to the 30s as recently as May 8.  And it is possible that despite the fact that the average date of our last frost is May 15, we could see some frost tonight well away from the lake. 

Welcome to spring!

Tracy

MID-MAY OR MID-MARCH???

The high temperature on Sunday only reached 46° which is 24° below our normal high of 70° and just two degrees warmer than our all-time record low maximum for May 15th of 44° set back in 1904. 46° for a high is what we usually see on March 15 not May 15. There is a warm-up on the way but it will a very gradual one with no 70° warmth until at least Friday.

  What made this weekend especially chilly was the wind. Gust to near 40 miles per hour were reported across much of the area with a gust to 49 miles per hour at Gary. The wind will still be quite brisk Monday but with more sunshine and temperatures at least 10 to 15 degrees warmer it will be a nicer day.

  Rainfall the last three days has varied tremendously across our area. Officially, O'Hare has seen .63" of rain since Friday with .80" at Midway. The heaviest rain this weekend fell in Northwest Indiana with 1.30" in Valparaiso. The lightest rainfall amounts were measured in the west and southwest suburbs with less than .25" from Joliet to Aurora to West Chicago.

 The upper level low that brought the gray and occasionally wet weather is now moving off to the east allowing for a good amount of sunshine for Monday and a good part of Tuesday. Something interesting will then happen by mid-week. This same low will start to move back to the west returning the cloud cover by late Tuesday and Wednesday. Right now, I believe we will remain dry but don't be surprised if we see a few sprinkles or light showers by Wednesday.

                                   Phil