THURSDAY, JUNE 30, 2011

Greetings!  Our first heat advisory of the year has been issued.  Here are details from the National Weather Service.

http://www.crh.noaa.gov/lot/

Tracy

Pleasant Saturday

After a gloomy last couple of days and highs topping only in the 60s yesterday, today will be 10-12 degrees warmer and pleasant!  High pressure briefly slides into the region today ahead of our next "weather maker" and provides a partly to mostly sunny day for the start of your weekend.  As a warm front approaches from the south later tonight, expect increasing cloudiness along with a chance of a shower overnight and into Sunday.  Highs on Saturday will top in the upper 70s and near 80 degrees on Sunday as well.  Sunday looks to include more clouds than Saturday.  A gradual warming trend is in order for the upcoming week as well with highs in the low 90s by Friday.  Here's a quick look at the extended outlook.  Saturday-partly/mostly sunny, high 79, low 61.  Sunday-mostly cloudy with a chance of a shower, high 80, low 62.  Monday-mostly cloudy and muggy with a chance of a shower, high 84, low 67.  Tuesday-mostly sunny, high 82, low 66.  Wednesday-sunny, high 83, low 61.  Thursday-mostly sunny, high 86, low 63.  Friday-sunny and warm/hot, high 90, low 71.  Have a great weekend everyone!  MARK BISHOP

Two tornadoes confirmed from Tuesday's storms

The National Weather Service survey teams confirmed two tornadoes struck our area Tuesday evening. The first hit Downers Grove at 8:31 PM and was on the ground for 2.1 miles when it lifted at 8:33 PM.  The maximum wind speeds were estimated between 90 and 100 mph.  Another tornado touched down in Mount Prospect at 8:48 PM.  This tornado was also on the ground for two minutes and traveled 2.3 miles.  The estimated wind speeds reached 100 mph. So far this month, we have already seen four tornadoes in our area.  All of them were rated as an EF-1 or weaker.  One struck South Holland on June 15, and another hit Bonfield in Kankakee County on June 20.

Although we saw tandom twisters this past Wednesday, 99% of the damage throughout the area was caused by straightline winds.  These potent winds are often more damaging than an EF-1 tornado.

 

                                Phil Schwarz and his intern Allie

Father's Day weekend

It's that time of the year again to honor our wonderful dads--it's fathers day weekend!  I remember my father always told me if I found a job I enjoyed I would never have to work a day in my life.  Great advice Dad!  I pass along the same advice to my two daughters.  While there are chances of showers this weekend, the majority of the time will be dry.  While there are chances of showers on both days of the weekend, I think the better chances will come on Sunday.  Expect highs in the 80s across the area on both days as well, except the east winds will make it cooler by the lake.  The week ahead will give us rain chances almost every day, but I think the best chance for a rain day will be on Tuesday.  Highs in the 80s will continue with Tuesday being the warmest day of the week, with low to mid 70s on Thursday and Friday.  Have a great weekend!  MARK BISHOP 

FRIDAY, JUNE 17, 2011

http://www.crh.noaa.gov/news/display_cmsstory.php?wfo=lot&storyid=69688&source=0

 

Good morning!

Yesterday I mentioned to you that I would let you know if the NWS confirmed any tornadoes in our area from Wednesday, June 15.  Well, they did!  The above link will give you more information about one tornado in South Holland. 

I also want to give you a little warning as to the potential for heavy rain tonight.  As I have researched the data, all signs are pointing to a band of thunderstorms which will produce torrential rain.  Several inches of rain may fall in the Chicago area between tonight and tomorrow morning. 

Tracy

THURSDAY, JUNE 16, 2011

 http://www.crh.noaa.gov/news/display_cmsstory.php?wfo=lot&storyid=69660&source=0

Good morning!  If you happened to hear tornado sirens in your neighborhood yesterday, take a peek at the link above to understand why.  Tornado warnings were issued late yesterday afternoon and evening for portions of Cook County as well as in Kankakee County and several counties in Northwest Indiana.  More information was posted on the National Weather Service website earlier this morning.  I called the Weather Service just a little while ago and they said they will do further evaluation today and will post more information regarding those tornado warnings and if they can confirm that tornadoes actually did occur.  Stay tuned...

Tracy

 

TUESDAY, JUNE 14, 2011

It is Flag Day and it is a dry day for waving Old Glory!  But dry...not for long.  All signs are pointing to a rather wet Wednesday!  Computer models are suggesting amounts of 1-2" of rain could be common across the Chicago area tomorrow.  And yes, I hear you.  That is those of you who are saying "we had enough rain last week."  I am with you. 

And for those of you who want some "heat" back, warmth starts to creep in over the weekend and into next week.  But until then, it may be feelin' a little more like fall, than "almost summer."  Stand by for news on our warm up.

Tracy

No hot stuff in sight

The high temperature on Saturday only made it to 62° which is 16° below normal and is the coolest day this month. Temperatures will turn slightly milder over the next several days but highs will not be any warmer than the mid 70s until at least Friday.

 After all of the heavy rain earlier this week we should dry out a bit with no rain expected until Tuesday night into Wednesday. The Romeoville area saw 5.68" of rain from Wednesday evening through Saturday morning with 3.39" at Midway.

 For those who like it hot you are going to wait for over a week before we see anything remotely hot so get use to a little bit of May weather in June

                                                          Phil

Severe weather possible tonight

As a warm front lifts northward into our area this afternoon and the atmosphere becomes more unstable, especially south of I-80, strong to severe storms could erupt this evening on at least a scattered basis. The better mechanism for producing wide spread thunderstorms will be a cold front that moves through the area overnight. A squall line could develop after sunset and race eastward across our area. For the latest on the severe weather potential check out this link to the storm prediction center. http://www.spc.noaa.gov/products/

 Jerry and Mike will be in this afternoon and will keep you up to date on any severe storms.

 Once the front moves through the bulk of the weekend will be dry but cool. Highs both days this weekend will only be around 70° but Sunday looks like the nicer of the two days with plenty of sunshine.

 

                                       Phil

End in sight

Today will be the 3rd straight day of 90+ degree heat in Chicago. After yesterday's 96, the hottest day since August 2006, we will be in that steamy neighborhood again. The record high is 97 set in 1933. However, a cold front is on the way to bring some relief from the heat. The front won't blast through until the wee hours of the morning, so tomorrow's midnight high temperature will be a deceiving 80-something, even as afternoon temperatures are mired in the 50s! 

The big question I have is with the rainfall/storm potential of the front.  The Storm Prediction Center (SPC) has us under the slight risk of severe weather between now and 7 a.m. Thursday.  Here's the map: http://www.spc.noaa.gov/products/outlook/day1otlk.html

Yet... the NAM computer run this morning shows less than a 30% probability of rainfall here with the frontal passage, and spits out a whopping .01" of rainfall tonight! Our in-house MicroCast model is the exact opposite... cranking out torrential rainfall between late tonight and Friday morning... on the order of 2"-4"! With such a strong front plowing into all of this heat and moisture, I can't see how storms WON'T fire up.  There's plenty of water available in a deep layer of the atmosphere for healthy rainfall production. These are all factors arguing FOR widespread rainfall and storms.  On the other hand, many areas, especially city and north, have had very little rain in the past 10 days. This took place despite lofty rainfall projections from various models.  Is this the beginning of a dry pattern where we see promising systems flag upon arrival here?  I'm banking on the wetter scenario, but watching my lawn begin to brown and "crustify" I do wonder if I'm only wishcasting!

Mike