Gusty thunderstorms raked the Chicago area in waves Friday, peppering some
locations with pea-size hail while unleashing downpours so heavy in other
areas that motorists were forced to the side of the road. The 1.28 inches measured
at O'Hare Airporat broke the record of 1.26 inches set in 1979 and included 0.43
inches that fell in just 7 minutes.
An evening cloudburst that hit west suburban Elgin just before 7 p.m. swamped the
city with 1.50 inches in only 15 minutes. Other heavy rain totals included
1.32 inches in Glenview, 1.20 inches in Lombard and 1.14 inches in Northbrook.
Powerful south winds topped 40 m.p.h. in and out of Friday's thunderstorms, and
evening storm gusts were estimated at 50 m.p.h. in sections of Rockford while
WeatherBug wind sensors clocked gusts of 59 m.p.h. at Marshall High School in
Chicago and 56 m.p.h. gusts at Lansing Municipal Airport in southern Cook
County. Storm winds toppled a 2-foot diameter tree in Kankakee.
RAINBOWS CLOSE A STORMY DAY
Friday's stormy weather closed with rainbows visible in many areas as the
setting sun interacted with thunderstorm rains.
--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.
