Another powerful weather system, the latest and strongest in a series of August/September storms to sweep into the Midwest, is descending on Chicago today. Invigorated by an especially energetic jet stream that is blasting across the Midwest and huge temperature variations between the cold western and warm eastern halves of the storm system, the atmosphere is poised to bring potentially violent thunderstorms and locally heavy rainfall to Chicago and much of the Midwest.
Thunderstorms are “weather factories” capable of producing five dangerous phenomena: damaging winds, large hail, intense lightning, flood-producing rains and isolated tornadoes. The National Weather Service’s Storm Prediction Center advises that the greatest potential for severe conditions across northeast Illinois will extend from this afternoon into the overnight hours.
-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.
