Powered by torrential rains accompanying violent thunderstorms Friday evening and additional heavy showers on Saturday, rain totals accumulated since the first of September are climbing into record territory. At Chicago’s official weather observation site (O’Hare), month-to-date rainfall now stands at 5.76 inches, an amount that is 176 percent of the normal full-month total of 3.27 inches, and sufficient to make this the 14th wettest September since 1871, even if not another drop of rain falls through the remainder of the month.
Substantial as it is, this month’s rain total is not likely to challenge Chicago’s all-time September rainfall record: 14.17” logged in 1961. The remnants of Hurricane Carla delivered 5.21 inches of wind-driven rain Sep. 12-14, adding that total to other heavy rains in that record-wet month.
A cooperative weather observer in St. Charles logged 4.04” in t-storms Friday evening into Saturday afternoon.
-Richard Koeneman, WGN-TV Meteorologist
WGN-TV Chief Meteorologist Tom Skilling and the WGN Weather Center staff provide daily coverage of weather in the Chicago area.
