Thunderstorms, deflected away from Chicago much of Thursday by cool east winds, finally reached sections of the region in the late evening—but in a diminishing stage. Areas south and west sections were predicted to bear the brunt of the most active overnight storms. Friday opens with the last of those storms south of the city.
Thursday morning’s cold frontal passage sent temps tumbling 14° from morning highs. O’Hare’s 77° was the coolest in 15 days. Dew points—a measure of atmospheric moisture—plunged to the upper 30s in sections of the metro area signaling the presence of remarkably dry air. It’s another reason heavy t-storms which pounded an area from South Dakota to Wisconsin had little success reaching Chicago at full strength. By late Thursday, 275 reports of severe weather had been logged including golf ball size hail in Gann Valley, S.D. which destroyed 90% of the grain crop.
--By Tom Skilling, WGN-TV Chief Meteorologist
WGN-TV Chief Meteorologist Tom Skilling and the WGN Weather Center staff provide daily coverage of weather in the Chicago area.
