Wednesday morning’s gray but otherwise sanguine weather masks the approach of November’s second major storm in less than a week. By late Wednesday night, NE winds—expected to strengthen slowly but steadily during the day—are likely to be gusting to 40 m.p.h. at times, delivering rain nearly horizontally. The gale force winds are likely to churn Lake Michigan into a sea of whitecaps and could build waves 8-10 ft. tall by Thursday. Though computer models have been all over the charts on the storm’s track in the past few days—a development typical with intense systems boasting backside upper winds as powerful as those observed with this storm—systems often follow a track west of the one initially predicted. If true, much of the Chicago area is in for significant precipitation. Rainfall estimates suggest water equivalent storm totals may average 0.71” in the metro area-but could exceed 1” at some locations.
--By Tom Skilling, WGN-TV Chief Meteorologist
