Temperatures surged above 80 degrees for the 14th time Thursday in the midst of one
of the driest June air masses here in three years. Slowly retreating flood waters still
cover areas adjacent to the Fox and Rock Rivers into next week. But that had little
impact on relative humidities here which by 3 p.m. Thursday had dropped to 23
percent. There hasn't been a lower relative humidity in June since the 18 percent
reading recorded June 22, 2005. High temperatures return to the 80s Friday and
Saturday--but the 2008 tally pales in comparison to the 30 days of 80-degree or
higher readings a year ago. The city had seen only one 90-degree-plus high to date --
less than the five considered normal.
HEAT'S RETURN NEXT WEEK COULD PROVOKE NEW T-STORMS
Summer-level warmth surges back into the area as June enters its final days the middle
and end of next week. It's a development that could produce regular clusters of
thunerstorms. It was another active night across the western Plains on Thursday. More
that 235 reports of severe weather were logged by the Storm Prediction Center in
Norman, Okla., including 185 reports of hail.
--Tom Skilling, Chief Meteorologist, WGN-TV/Chicago Tribune
