South Siders, soaked on more than one occasion by August downpours, may find the dry weather gripping the city’s North Side this month hard to believe. But, rainfall at Midway Airport is running more than six times the amount which has fallen at O’Hare Field. The dry conditions extend to an impressive swath of the metro area north of I-88. Summer rain distribution is often a feast or famine affair. But, the variation since August 1 is truly eye-catching, ranging from 4.40" at Midway to just 0.72" at O’Hare. Only one year since 1990 has been drier at O’Hare—1999 with 0.67" to date. The disparity has only emerged in recent weeks. O’Hare’s 18.45" total since March 1 equals the 135 year average since 1871.
Rain has been in anything but short supply over the monsoon drenched Southwest. Tucson, Arizona’s 7.84" since June 15 makes it that area’s wettest monsoon season in over half a century—since 10.54” in 1955.
-Tom Skilling
WGN-TV Chief Meteorologist Tom Skilling and the WGN Weather Center staff provide daily coverage of weather in the Chicago area.
