WGN Weather Center Blogtag:weblogs.wgntv.com,2009-04-10:/chicago-weather/tom-skilling-blog//3492009-11-22T02:00:47ZWGN-TV Chief Meteorologist Tom Skilling and the WGN Weather Center staff provide daily coverage of weather in the Chicago area.Movable Type 4.1Another mild, sunny weekend shaping uptag:weblogs.wgntv.com,2009:/chicago-weather/tom-skilling-blog//349.1466092009-11-22T02:00:05Z2009-11-22T02:00:47Zwgnweather While this weekend's highs in the middle and upper 50s pale in comparison to the back-to-back 70s on Nov. 7-8 and the 63-degree maximum on Nov. 14, the mild conditions will provide ample opportunity for end-of-season yard work or putting up holiday decorations. The balmy weather should last into Tuesday extending the current string of above-normal days to 21-the longest November stretch since 25 straight days were logged at Midway Airport in 1999.
Brief chill may bring snow
The warmth will not last through Thanksgiving as a cold front sends temperatures plunging late Tuesday. Showers should develop with the front and could mix with snow Wednesday as readings drop into the 30s. Thanksgiving looks to be cloudy with some flurries or mixed rain and snow possible with high temperatures struggling to reach 40 degrees. ]]>
83 degrees of separation: November 1950's temperature extremestag:weblogs.wgntv.com,2009:/chicago-weather/tom-skilling-blog//349.1466072009-11-22T01:57:27Z2009-11-22T01:59:02Zwgnweather
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How rare is heavy rainfall in the Mojave Desert?tag:weblogs.wgntv.com,2009:/chicago-weather/tom-skilling-blog//349.1466042009-11-22T00:36:54Z2009-11-22T00:39:26ZDear Tom,In July 1987 while driving through the Mojave Desert on our way from Los Angeles to Las Vegas, heavy thunderstorms produced severe flooding and we were ordered off the road. How rare is this? Kevin Vahey, EvanstonDear Kevin,It's not...wgnweather
Dear Tom, In July 1987 while driving through the Mojave Desert on our way from Los Angeles to Las Vegas, heavy thunderstorms produced severe flooding and we were ordered off the road. How rare is this? Kevin Vahey, Evanston
Dear Kevin, It's not that rare. Rain is limited in the Mojave, averaging less than six inches a year. The desert's western flank receives the majority of its precipitation in the winter, while the eastern desert gets a substantial portion of its rainfall from summer thunderstorms in addition to the amount from winter storms. However, during the summer monsoon season, thunderstorms can form when moist air moves north out of the gulfs of Mexico and California. With ample moisture, strong heating and orographic lift provided by the mountains, the storms can bring blinding downpours. ]]>
Hazy sun to put in an appearance amid mild Octoberlike tempstag:weblogs.wgntv.com,2009:/chicago-weather/tom-skilling-blog//349.1466002009-11-21T05:33:59Z2009-11-21T05:36:15ZNighttime cooling has produced areas of low cloudiness and fog from moisture lingering in the wake of the past week's damp weather system. When temperatures lower at night, air masses grow saturated with moisture at the point readings match the...Tom Skilling Despite areas of clouds, Chicago remains a safe distance from the country's major precipitation-producing weather systems over the pre-Thanksgiving weekend -- one on the Gulf Coast with big rains and another sweeping into the Rockies. It's a situation which should allow the weekend here to remain mild, further extending one of the longest spells of above-normal November temperatures on the books. Highs are to reach the 50s Saturday through Monday -- readings 10 to 15 degrees above normal and more typical of late October than November. The number of consecutive above-normal days reaches 19 Sunday, the 2nd longest such period at Midway Airport since weather records began in 1928. Only 1999 managed more -- 25 of them.
Though winds are light Saturday -- often an impediment to breaking clouds up this time of year -- computer models indicate the layer of moisture supporting Saturday morning's clouds is quite shallow. This should permit daytime heating to mix the air, dissipating the cloudiness and allowing generous sunshine to emerge. Hazy sunshine is likely to return both Sunday and Monday.
As additional evidence of how mild it's been of late, the coldest temperature recorded this fall has been 28 degrees, and the coolest daytime high this month has been 47. A vast majority of years have produced temperatures colder than each of these readings by now: 128 of the past 137 years have recorded a colder autumn low temperature by now, and only one year (1933) has seen its lowest November daytime maximum higher than this year's 47.
Changing pattern to send temps tumbling by Thanksgiving; potential cold December open ahead Many indicators continue to suggest large pattern changes loom over the next two weeks -- changes likely to send temperatures broadly lower over the United States. The colder air appears likely to hit in two waves -- and there may be temporary warming between them.
Cold weather surges into the Midwest on gusty winds Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday amid chilly showers. Readings may be chilly enough to allow at least some mixed snowflakes to the reach the ground with the spells of cold rain. The chilly air is likely to hold Thanksgiving temperatures near 40 degrees. Even colder air may hit next weekend and carry into December. ]]>
Big pattern change to introduce markedly lower temps in next 2 weekstag:weblogs.wgntv.com,2009:/chicago-weather/tom-skilling-blog//349.1466022009-11-21T05:32:58Z2009-11-21T14:09:30ZNelson Taruc]]>
Similar temperatures across the nationtag:weblogs.wgntv.com,2009:/chicago-weather/tom-skilling-blog//349.1465982009-11-21T05:31:24Z2009-11-21T05:31:54ZDear Tom,On the evening of Aug. 10 I was checking the weather for many cities coast to coast and they were all 79 degrees. Is that rare and is it more likely to occur in summer?Norman AlexandroffDear Norman,Having a large...wgnweather
Dear Tom, On the evening of Aug. 10 I was checking the weather for many cities coast to coast and they were all 79 degrees. Is that rare and is it more likely to occur in summer? Norman Alexandroff Dear Norman, Having a large expanse of uniform temperatures across the nation is quite unusual and would be far more likely to occur in summer than any other time of the year. Temperature contrasts are almost always greater in the winter with arctic air and snow cover much more frequent across the northern states. Summer's sluggish weather patterns are more conducive to smaller temperature ranges -- especially at night when sunshine is not a factor. Conditions that would bring similar temperatures on a regional basis are far more common and can occur throughout the year given the right conditions. ]]>
Double rainbow in Oak Foresttag:weblogs.wgntv.com,2009:/chicago-weather/tom-skilling-blog//349.1465952009-11-21T00:27:55Z2009-11-21T00:30:02ZJennifer Barwock of Posen, Ill., captured this image of a double rainbow Thursday afternoon (Nov. 19) in Oak Forest. Thanks Jennifer for sharing this great picture with us!Photo courtesy of Jennifer Barwock, Posen, Ill....Nelson Taruc
Photo courtesy of Jennifer Barwock, Posen, Ill.
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Farming update from Wilmingtontag:weblogs.wgntv.com,2009:/chicago-weather/tom-skilling-blog//349.1465932009-11-20T22:38:07Z2009-11-20T22:48:22ZJohn Hazzard has always done a wonderful job keeping the WGN Weather Center informed about soil and farming conditions for Illinois farmers. He tells us today that weather conditions are back to being favorable again for harvesting corn in our...Nelson Taruc "The corn had to be dumped from the combine into an auger wagon, then taken to the semi truck sitting out on the road because of the wet field conditions. The corn moisture is between 20-30 wetter than the last five-year average due to the weather conditions over the past 6 months. Soybean harvest is 95 percent done, but the corn is very slow to come out -- only 30 percent of corn acreage has been harvested in this area. This time last year everyone was done with both crops; what a difference a year makes..."
Fortunately, the good news according to Hazzard is that the yields in both soybeans and corn are either average or above average. Thanks John for the timely update as well as the photos!
Photos courtesy of John Hazzard
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It's felt cool---but temperatures have been milder than normal the past 16 daystag:weblogs.wgntv.com,2009:/chicago-weather/tom-skilling-blog//349.1465652009-11-20T04:41:27Z2009-11-20T04:42:36ZFriday marks the 17th consecutive day of milder than normal temperatures in Chicago--one of the five longest such spells on record in the month of November at Midway Airport. Weather observations there date back to 1928. With above normal readings...wgnweather
A stubborn low pressure responsible for five consecutive days of cloudy skies has lifted out of the area--but, moisture lingers in its wake. And, while clouds may break for passing sun in coming days, spells of overcast skies aren't likely to exit the area completely--fitting in a month which is historically the second cloudiest of the year (December is the cloudiest).
Daytime temperatures are predicted to rise several degrees in each of the next three days. But, indications of change in the weeks ahead abound. Two key cold weather indexes, which look at cold air availability in the arctic as well as the predicted buckling of the jet stream over the North Atlantic---a development which frequently ends up sending cold air spilling southward over the eastern U.S., including the Midwest---have turned negative. It's an indication of colder weather on the way. The chill appears likely to hit in bursts---the first to produce a rain-generating disturbance here late Monday into Tuesday. That push of cold air is to last through through Thanksgiving (next Thursday) and may deliver this area's coldest readings of the season to date. There are growing indications flurries or snow showers could sweep at least parts of the metro area Wednesday and Thursday. Still colder air appears a threat as December hits 12 days from now. That chilly spell could allow some sticking snow at some point in December's opening 5-days, according to several preliminary computer forecast scenarios.
West Coast hit by driving rains, huge mountain snows, 100 mph wind gusts
The storm pounding the West Coast Thursday has prompted warnings for all manner of extreme weather---from heavy rain and flooding, to mountain snows measured in feet, and high winds responsible for huge waves lashing the coastline. Gusts hit 103 mph at Rogue Valley International Airport near in southern Oregon near Medford Thursday.
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Downtrending temps next 2 weeks include chilly Thanksgiving, cold December open; some snow in sight tootag:weblogs.wgntv.com,2009:/chicago-weather/tom-skilling-blog//349.1465642009-11-20T04:39:09Z2009-11-20T04:40:37Zwgnweather
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December 1945 in Chicago's warm to cold temperature swingtag:weblogs.wgntv.com,2009:/chicago-weather/tom-skilling-blog//349.1465632009-11-20T04:27:07Z2009-11-20T04:29:49Zwgnweather
Dear Tom, I was married on Dec. 8, 1945 and it was a very warm day. A week later when my friend got married on Dec. 15 it was below zero. Can you provide the details? Delores Faltynek Antioch
Dear Delores, We asked climatologist Frank Wachowski to check the weather archives and he found your recollections to be right on---illustrating how quickly Chicago weather can change this time of the year. You wedding day was indeed very mild with a balmy high of 53 degrees. Your friend was not as fortunate as winter hit with a vengeance in the following week. A cold front dropped temperatures into the 20s and a major snowstorm followed on Dec.13 and 14 bringing about 4 inches of snow. Your friend's Dec. 15 wedding took place on a very wintry day with a high of just 11, a low of 2 below zero and 4 inches of snow on the ground.
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Clouds linger a 5th straight day and may be slow to retreattag:weblogs.wgntv.com,2009:/chicago-weather/tom-skilling-blog//349.1465422009-11-19T04:38:13Z2009-11-19T04:39:13ZClouds cover area skies a 5th consecutive day Thursday and periods of rain are to continue. Wednesday's 0.17 inches at O'Hare made it the wettest day since late October. The day's 47-degree peak reading was the third consecutive day in...wgnweather To say it's been dreary is a bit of an understatement. Chicagoans have seen only 1 percent of the area's possible sun since Sunday---and November, typically the second-cloudiest month of the year here, is showing every sign of living up to its cloudy reputation over the coming week. The sluggish storm which has spun in place all week shrouding the area under a veil of clouds, is finally to lift out of the Midwest Friday. But computer models hold a fair amount of moisture in the lowest 5,000 feet of the atmosphere in the wake of the departing storm. This is more than adequate to produce clouds and could make sunshine a comparatively rare commodity. What's more, suggestions that a wet new storm is to come together across the Midwest Monday is hardly a boon to those in search of sun. Though the details of its development aren't yet carved in stone, a number of forecast scenarios predict strengthening over eastern Iowa and Missouri Monday, leading to the onset of chilly rains in Chicago Monday night and Tuesday.
Temperatures over much of the coming two weeks remain above seasonal norms, but display a downward glide. One lobe of chilly air is likely to be drawn into the Midwest on the blustery backside of next week's storm, producing a cool Wednesday and Thanksgiving Day. It's possible mid-week cooling will be sufficient to introduce snow or rain showers. But even colder air may loom beyond that. Though temperatures are likely to moderate after Thanksgiving (next Thursday,) preliminary indications suggest December---which is just 13 days away--may open on a wintry note as even colder air descends into the Chicago area. Historic odds of a trace or more of snow falling in November's 12 remaining days: 88 percent
The possibility of snow grows this time of year. Snowfall records in Chicago extend back 125 years to 1884. At a least a trace of snow has fallen in 88 percent of those years between now and the start of December. Measurable snow (0.1 inches or more) has fallen in the same period in 60 percent of years and an inch of snow has fallen by December first 38 percent of the time. ]]>
Storm pounding West could be Midwest's next big precipitation-producer Thanksgiving weektag:weblogs.wgntv.com,2009:/chicago-weather/tom-skilling-blog//349.1465412009-11-19T04:13:28Z2009-11-19T04:15:19Zwgnweather
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Snowfall frequency in Chicagotag:weblogs.wgntv.com,2009:/chicago-weather/tom-skilling-blog//349.1465402009-11-19T04:09:17Z2009-11-19T04:11:05Zwgnweather
Dear Tom, I am putting in a bid for sidewalk snow removal in the Lincoln-Belmont-Ashland shopping area. Can you provide the average frequency of the number of snows per season of various amounts? Bill Haderlein, Chicagoland Deck Cleaning & Sealing
Dear Bill, Indeed we can. The following statistics are derived from 80 years (1929-2008) of Midway Airport snowfall data, courtesy of Chicago weather historian Frank Wachowski.
On average, Chicago receives at least one-half inch of snow 17 times per snow season. Snow storms in the range of 1-3 inches occur about 7 times; 4-6 inches, twice; 7-10 inches, once; more than 10 inches, about once every other year.
A note of caution: The number of storms that might occur in any given snow season varies greatly from year to year. The extreme winter of 1978-79 put down 10 snows in excess of 4 inches and a season total of 89.7 inches. ]]>
Beautiful Lombard sunsettag:weblogs.wgntv.com,2009:/chicago-weather/tom-skilling-blog//349.1465382009-11-18T23:17:56Z2009-11-18T23:21:32ZJoan Knight sent us this a gorgeous sunset picture taken in Lombard this past Friday the Nov. 13th. Wow, what a great shot!Thanks Joan!Photo courtesy of Joan Knight, Lombard, Illinois...wgnweather Thanks Joan!
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