Extreme drought gripped the area a year ago. Lawns were brown, crops were struggling and sprinkling bans loomed. To be sure, the recent rainfall bonanza has bypassed some parts of the state. But, Chicago isn’t among them, and the 7.52” of rain on the books since the beginning of meteorological summer (June 1) dwarfs the 1.49” which had fallen by this date a year ago.
For up to eight hours Thursday beginning at 4 a.m., a 30-50 mile-wide corridor extending from Rockford and McHenry county across Chicago and into northwest Indiana was swept by waves of thunderstorms—repeatedly. The phenomenon, known as training, generated 2.05” at O’Hare—the site’s largest calendar day rain total since Aug. 1, 2003 (2.24”). That’s over a half an inch more rain than had fallen to date during the entire summer season a year ago. Other heavy totals Thursday included 2.54” at Schaumburg, 2.45” at Algonquin and 1.79” at Mt. Prospect.
--By Tom Skilling, WGN-TV Weather Center Meteorologist
WGN-TV Chief Meteorologist Tom Skilling and the WGN Weather Center staff provide daily coverage of weather in the Chicago area.
