August third warmest in half a century despite all the rain

It’s been wet this month and additional thundery rains are on the way. The rains have kept lawns green, fostered the best corn and soybean crops on area farms in memory and shielded the Chicago area from the string of hot days which have broiled much of the nation’s midsection. St. Louis, where the mercury has climbed above 90° every day this month, has accumulated more 90° temperatures in the past two weeks than Midway Airport has seen all summer. Yet, despite all the rain and the limited number of truly hot days, the month has managed an average of 78.0° at the O’Hare —a reading 5.7° above the long term average and warm enough to qualify as the third warmest open since 1959.
The tropics continue to heat up. Tropical Storm Dean threatens to become a major 110+ mph hurricane before this weekend and Tropical Storm Erin may form in the Gulf and head toward Texas. Trop. storm watches were hoisted there Tuesday evening.
--By Tom Skilling, WGN-TV Chief Meteorologist