A dose of wintry weather expected to slash weekend temperatures 20+ degrees below
those observed just a week ago is Chicago-bound. Cold winds circulating around the
powerful autumn storm that energized south winds and propelled temperatures to
unseasonably warm levels much of the week will introduce snow to the local weather
scene beginning Friday night. It's only the third time this season snowflakes have been
in the air here.
The mammoth low pressure behind the jarring weather change here hammered the
northern Plains on Thursday with blinding snow riding 60 to 70 m.p.h. winds. An area
just miles from Deadwood in western South Dakota's Black Hills reported 45.7 inches
of snow while 13 inches buried nearby Rapid City with drifts 8 to 10 feet high.
PALOMA ROARING ACROSS CARIBBEAN TOWARD CUBA; LIKELY TO BECOME 100+ M.P.H.
HURRICANE
The Caribbean's 84-degree waters spawned the 2008 season's 6th named tropical
storm. As Paloma headed for the Cayman Islands, Cuba and eastern Baha- mas, the
system intensified to hurricane strength late Thursday. It threatens to become a 100+
m.p.h. hurricane.
--Tom Skilling, Chief Meteorologist, WGN-TV/Chicago Tribune
