Powerful non-thunderstorm winds gusted past 50 m.p.h. Thursday propelling temps to the highest levels in 10 months and laying the atmospheric groundwork for severe overnight storms. The area’s highest gusts included 60 m.p.h. three miles off Chicago’s lakefront at the Harrison-Dever crib, and 53 m.p.h. in downtown Chicago.
Readings topped out at 92° at Midway and 91° at O’Hare—at a time of the year when 77° is considered normal. Gary’s high of 93° was the metro area’s highest. The heat came on the heels of the city’s largest two day June temp increase in 21 years. T-storms, featuring dramatic cloud to ground lightning displays (up to 1,500 of them within a 225 mile radius of Chicago in a single ten minute period just after 9 p.m. Thursday evening), erupted suddenly late Thursday evening to Chicago’s west. Reports of funnel clouds and wind damage were widespread from the Quad Cities to Rockford.
--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.
