After an auspiciously wet start, August has turned dry in the Chicago area. With nearly
3.5 inches logged in the city's official rain gauge at O'Hare International Airport
through Aug. 4, the city seemed well on its way to blow away the month's normal
4.62-inch rainfall total. However, since then, the rain spigot has abruptly turned off
with only a meager 0.06 inches on the books in the last two weeks.
Rain does not appear to be in the cards here until late Thursday, when tropical moisture
surges into the area. Should the remnants of Fay pass close to Chicago as indicated by
some computer models, the city could be in line for a resurgence of precipitation by
next weekend.
FAY'S TRACK, STRENGTH STILL IN DOUBT
As Tropical Storm Fay prepares to cross western Cuba and head into the eastern Gulf of
Mexico, its track and intensity are still in question. Fay, already responsible for five
deaths in Hispaniola, is expected to reach hurricane strength after crossing Cuba and
energizing on the bathtub-warm waters of the eastern Gulf of Mexico as it heads
toward the United States. Florida still appears a likely landfall target with hurricane
watches posted through the Keys and along much of the state's west coast.
--By Steve Kahn, WGN Weather Center Meteorologist
