January 2009 Archives

January 2009 enters the record books as the city's 10th coldest. Its average temperature
of 15.9 degrees ties 1994 as Chicago's coldest January in 16 years. Saturday's high of
38 degrees was the month's peak reading, making it the first January since 1985 and only
the ninth since 1871 with so low a maximum temperature.
Thawing will continue Sunday, but colder air will return to the region Monday and
Tuesday on strong north winds, the western flank of a large storm system expected to charge up
the East Coast. That storm is expected to bring heavy snow to portions of the Northeast,
but the Chicago area could be the recipient of several inches of lake-effect snow as the
cold air sweeps south down the full length of Lake Michigan.
MAJOR THAW EXPECTED BY WEEK'S END
Milder weather appears headed for Chicago by the end of the week as a westerly flow of
Pacific air approaches. By Saturday highs could surge into the 40s here for the first time
since Dec. 30, bringing a chance of rain to the city.
--By Steve Kahn, WGN Weather Center Meteorologist

Dear Tom,
We are getting a lot of snow this winter, but my grandmother says she remembers a
winter when there was very little snow, less than a foot. Is she correct?
-Ray Cosenbalun, Homer Glen

Dear Ray,
Your grandmother is almost certainly remembering Chicago’s back-to-back nearly
snowless winters of 1920-21 and 1921-22. The winter of 1920-21 was the city’s
least snowy, logging a scant 9.8 inches. The season’s biggest snow was a 2.1-inch
event on Jan. 3031, but despite the meager snowfall, Chicago did manage to eke
out a white Christmas, with one inch on the ground Christmas morning. The
following winter was nearly as snowstarved with only 11.5 inches falling. The two
winters combined produced 21.3 inches of snow—nearly 2 inches less than the
23.0 inches that fell during therecord Jan. 26-27, 1967, storm.

Chicago's coldest January in 24 years ends at midnight Saturday. With its passing,
two-thirds of the 2008-09 meteorological winter season is behind us. Its abnormally cold
temperatures have been compared for weeks to those of winter 2000-01. But by late Friday,
Chicago's average temperature since Dec. 1 slipped to 19.3 degrees. It's a decline which now
makes this winter the coldest of the past quarter century -- since 1983-84.
Friday's high struggled to 14 degrees -- one of this winter's seven coldest. The
reading was 17 degrees below normal. Clear skies and exceptionally dry air Friday sent west
suburban temperatures plummeting below zero. But this morning's warm frontal passage is to
boost highs to 31 degrees Saturday afternoon and to 35 degrees Sunday -- the mildest in 28
days.
TAMPA'S SUNDAY GAME-TIME TEMPERATURES NOT SO SUPER
Just three days ago readings peaked in the lower 80s, but in the wake of a cold front
that brought 2 inches of rain Friday night, the area's heaviest since October, Tampa's
temperatures have crashed. Readings will hover around 60 degrees at Sunday's kickoff and fall
into the 50s during the game.
--Tom Skilling, Chief Meteorologist, WGN-TV/Chicago Tribune

Dear Tom,
What has been Chicago's greatest snow depth at any one time?
Adam Zlotnicki, 9 years old
Dear Adam,
Many people think that Chicago's deepest snow cover occurred in the wake of
the city's 23-inch "Big Snow" of Jan. 26-27, 1967. Additional snowfalls
after the huge storm caused the city's snow cover to increase, reaching 28
inches on both Feb. 6 and 7, establishing an all-time record depth at that
time. However, that record was eclipsed during the city's benchmark winter
of 1978-79 that recorded 89.7 inches of snow. Chicago's snowpack reached 29
inches on Jan. 14, 1979, after 21 inches of snow fell from Jan. 11-14 during
the infamous "Blizzard of '79". That winter also holds the record for
consecutive days of snow cover: 100 days from Nov. 26-March 5.

Our thanks go out to Kristi Ikemire who was kind enough to pass on these stunning photos of the recent ice storm taken by her father-in-law Chuck Stone. These photos were taken at Table Rock Lake right outside of Branson, Missouri. Power has not yet been restored to many of the severely glazed areas that stretch from northern Texas and Oklahoma all the way to the central Appalachians

Photos by Chuck Stone

Posted by Steve Kahn WGN Weather Center

Bill Recktenwald e-mails us from downstate Hardin County, Ill., which borders Kentucky on the Ohio River and includes these amazing post-ice and snow storm photos from Garden of the Gods road. He describes the ice which lingers on the trees there in the wake of this past week's storm there as having turned the trees into a crystal-like forest -- an apt description as you can see in these shots.

Many of you may recognize Bill’s name -- he reported over many years in the pages of the "Chicago Tribune," and his byline is very familiar to the paper's readers. Bill reports he's been able to mitigate problems associated with the widespread storm-related power outages to some extent which continue to plague many areas downstate. He tells us the damage was so extensive, residents of the area are being told it could be five or six days before everyone's power is restored there.

THANKS for the incredible photos and for the update, and stay safe and warm through all this, Bill! It's always great hearing from you!
--Tom Skilling, Chief Meteorologist, WGN-TV/Chicago Tribune

Photos courtesy of Bill Recktenwald, Hardin County, Ill.

It's been the coldest January in 24 years, and the resurgence of arctic air Friday
slashes high temperatures 14 degrees from Thursday's high and delivers subzero wind- chills.
Of the month's first 29 days, 21 have been below normal -- 72 percent of them. The month's
frigid average temperature of just 15.8 degrees -- well below last year's 24.2 degrees
-- is 8.5 degrees below average and secures January a "10th coldest ranking" among the 138
Januarys on record here.
Milder air makes its move on Chicago this weekend but its encounter with the area's
snowpack will limit temperature increases. Though temperatures are to flirt with or slightly
exceed 32 degrees, it appears a virtual certainty this month will close as the first
January not to have produced an official high of 38 degrees since 1985.
An inch or more of snow has been on the ground at Midway Airport for 25 concecutive
days. The snow's impact on weekend temperatures will be profound. Projected temperature
profiles late Satur- day suggest readings will be in the low 40s in a layer 4,000 to 7,000
feet above ground -- yet only 31 degrees at the surface.
In Florida, only a week after windchill advisories, high temperatures Thursday included
Miami's 84 and Orlando's 85.
--Tom Skilling, Chief Meteorologist, WGN-TV/Chicago Tribune

Dear Tom,
With all the cold weather lately I know that it can get warm in January. What is the
nation's highest January reading?
Spencer G.

Dear Spencer,
It has never reached the 100 mark in the U.S. in January, but it has come close. The
nation's two highest January readings were both logged in 1997. The hottest was a
98-degree high at Indio, Calif., in the southern California desert near Palm Springs, and
the runner-up was a 97-degree maximum at Zapata, Texas near the Mexican border
between Brownsville and Laredo.

Closer to home, Illinois' peak January reading was a balmy 78-degree high recorded at
downstate Cahokia in 1986. Chicago has never reached the 70 degree mark in January
but the mercury did climb to 67 degrees on Jan. 25, 1950 and the "infamous" 65 degree
high on Jan. 24, 1967 two days before the 23 inch "Big Snow" on Jan. 26-27.

Here's a great sunrise picture from Sheldon Faworski in northwestern Illinois. Sheldon tells us:
I was letting my dogs out early this morning at app. 7:30am and the Sun was peeking between two cloud banks. (See image) This was taken in Elizabeth, IL. A few minutes later it started snowing.

Thanks for the shot Sheldon!

More than 60 percent of the Lower 48 was covered with snow late Wednesday, greatest of
the past five winters. The behemoth of a winter storm which buried the Mid-Atlantic and
New England Wednesday after a deadly trek distributing ice and snow across 34 states,
contributed mightily to the nation's snowy state. The 2.4 inches -- much of it lake-effect
-- which fell at O'Hare, advanced the season's snow tally to 44 inches -- 19.1 inches
more than a year ago. It was the city's 31st measurable snow -- the third greatest to date
in 124 years. Areas downstate were reeling after more than a foot of snow accumulated.
Sumner -- on the Illinois/Indiana border near Vincennes -- was hit by 12.5 inches as was
Indianapolis where the storm was the worst in 13 years. 16 inches was reported at Grand
Valley, Penn. and more than two feet of snow was expected in New England's mountains.
Our area's heavy snowpack facilitates at least two reinforcing surges of arctic air over
the coming week -- the first to arrive Thursday night, gripping the area into Saturday
morning -- and the second to hit Sunday night and Monday. "Mild" air will make its move on
the area this weekend with rising temperatures and gusty winds Saturday night
propelling readings above freezing Sunday.
--Tom Skilling, Chief Meteorologist, WGN-TV/Chicago Tribune

Dear Tom,
Everyone talks about the Jan. 26-27, 1967 23 inch "Big Snow." Didn't we have some
decent-sized snowfall in the weeks that followed?
Michael Balun, Plainfield

Dear Michael,
Indeed we did. The city was still reeling from the "Big Snow" when another 2.9 inches
fell on Jan. 29. That snow was followed by a 4.0 inch storm on Feb. 1 and a 7.6 inch
event on Feb. 5- that brought the city's snow depth to a staggering 28 inches.

Just 17 days later the city was walloped by a brief, but blinding blizzard that completely
snarled the evening rush hour. Accompanied by thunder and lightning, the storm
dropped visibilities to near zero across the area as winds gusting to nearly 50 m.p.h.
produced whiteout conditions. The storm brought 5.5 inches of snow to the city with
four inches falling in just 2.5 hours.

Ice floes covered with snow are part of this wintry scene
off Chicago's shoreline Wednesday (1/28/2009)

Last night's 1-3" snowfall--the 30th measurable snow of the 2008-09
season---has coated the ice floes off the Chicago shoreline with snow. A
period of northeast winds overnight and early Wednesday morning forced
the ice to drift west positioning it along western shoreline of Lake
Michigan. This terrific shot in Wednesday's unlimited post-snow system
sunshine looks north from Michigan Avenue and the Hancock Building
toward a very wintry Oak Street Beach and Chicago lakeshore is the work
of Jim Bayne. THANKS Jim for sharing this with us! By the way, Frank
Wachowski reports Chicago's official snow tally at O'Hare has climbed to
44"----more than 19" above the 24.9 which had fallen by this date a year
ago!

Tom Skilling

Photo courtesy of Jim Bayne, Chicago

Snow at the north end of a huge winter storm lingers into morning over sections of the
Chicago area. It's fallen here at a fraction the rate of the heavy snows that began in
Downstate Illinois and Indiana early Tuesday. The half foot reported late Tuesday near St.
Louis increased to more than 8 inches to the east in Ohio -- and the snow was still
coming down hard and working east toward the Mid-Atlantic and New England States where more
than a foot is predicted by Thursday.
Snowfall overnight in portions of the Chicago area has been enhanced by some moisture
off Lake Michigan. A 150-mile long but only 10- to 20-mile wide band of snow had formed
late Tuesday over Lake Michigan. Radar indicated the so-called moisture plume of snow was
producing enhanced snowfall within a corridor from south of Ludington, Mich., to the
Chicago shoreline. The feature was produced by converging low-level winds which were
concentrating lake moisture. With computer models predicting the plume likely to remain intact into
Wednesday morning, the potential for a few spells of heavier snowfall may linger near
Lake Michigan until the feature shifts east and diminishes later in the morning.
--Tom Skilling, Chief Meteorologist, WGN-TV/Chicago Tribune

Dear Tom,
Our family planned a big party here in Chicago involving friends driving in
from out-of-town on a Sunday in January 1982. We postponed it to the next
Sunday because of incredibly cold temperatures, but that following Sunday
was just as bad, and we gave it up until the spring. What are the weather
details?
Jim Metzger
Dear Jim,
You had the great misfortune of planning your party on two of the absolutely
worst days in Chicago weather history. High/low temperatures on Sunday, Jan.
10, 1982, were 4 below zero and 26 below along with 30 m.p.h. winds and an
inch of snow that brought a virtual blizzard and treacherous highway
conditions. That minus 26 is Chicago's second-lowest temperature on record.
The following Sunday, the 17th, was nearly as bad. High/low readings of 4
degrees above zero and minus 23, plus two inches of windy snow made highways
treacherous again.

Thanks to Judy Walavich for sharing these wonderful photos!
—WGN-TV Weather Center

Photos courtesy of Judy Walavich, Lake Forest

The southern Midwest -- including Downstate Illinois and Indiana from St. Louis to Terre
Haute and Indianapolis and south -- bears the brunt of the season's latest winter storm.
But the Chicago area isn't likely to escape the system's impact completely. Flurries
may flutter earthward near Lake Michigan at times Tuesday as light winds just above the
surface shift northeast. It's not a perfect lake snow setup -- but history shows
An upper disturbance's arrival late Tuesday is to provide the primary impetus for light
snow formation later Tuesday and Tuesday night. Projected cloud temperatures suggest the
snowflakes this system spawns will be especially fluffy, posessing nearly twice the
volume of typical snowflakes. Snowfall estimates through Tuesday night include a dusting to 1
inch in northern counties near the Wisconsin line and totals ranging from 1-2 inches for
the city and surrounding suburbs. As much as 1-3 inches may fall in southern counties and
perhaps even a few spots near Lake Michigan. By comparison, 8 inches or more may occur
in the hardest hit areas of southern Indiana with potentially serious icing either side of
the Ohio River.
--Tom Skilling, Chief Meteorologist, WGN-TV/Chicago Tribune

Dear Tom,
We've had a lot of days with snow cover this winter. What is the city's record for the
most consecutive day of snow cover? Have we ever had a totally snow covered March?
-Richard Lurie Chicago

Dear Richard,
Chicago's snowiest winter, the winter of 1978-79 with a record 89.7 inches of snow
also takes the honors for most consecutive days of snow cover. That winter the city
measured at least one inch of snow on the ground for 100 straight days from Nov.
26 through March 5. The season's snow cover peaked at a record depth of
29 inches on Jan. 14, 1979 in the wake of a 21 inch Jan. 11-14 snowfall. As for
March snow cover, the month has opened and closed snow-covered, but has never
sustained a snow cover for the entire 31 days. The city's longest duration March snow
cover was in 1960 when the ground was white from March 1 to 22.

Viewer Mary Moore phoned me earlier today (Monday) describing a vertical ray of light
she observed Monday morning and captured on a photograph taken by her friend Anna
Kowalczyk. The column of light emanated from the rising sun which was just breaking
above the horizon. Mary wondered what this phenomenon was and if it had a name. It
does indeed! What Anna's captured so beautifully in this photo is what is known as a
"light pillar"----a vertical column of light which emanates from a light source—in this
case, the sun. Light pillars are most often observed in the arctic, where bitterly COLD
temperatures such as those we've experienced here in recent days are common.
Suspended ice crystals in such air masses reflect light from a light source. This most
often occurs with the sun it is low to the horizon—as in this daybreak shot early
Monday morning (1/26). These pillars of light have been observed extending vertically
from streetlights---even the moon! We’ve had other inquiries about this phenomenon
in recent weeks—but Anna's photo is among the best example of the phenomenon
we've received. Thanks to Mary and Anna for sharing this with us---and thanks to all
who have inquired about the phenomenon.

Tom Skilling

Photo courtesy of Anna Kowalcyzk

You've got love this!!! My colleague Eric Sorenson, Chief Meteorologist at WREX in
Rockford, sends this photo along. It was taken by his brother Mike, who while out on a
walk in Elmhurst over the weekend with Eric's two nieces, came across the HUGE
snowman---quite likely the area's largest! Eric—this is a riot! THANKS very much for
sharing this!!

Tom Skilling

Photo courtesy of Mike Sorenson, Elmhurst, Illinois and Eric Sorenson, Chief Meteorologist, WREX-TV Rockford

Winter storm watches have been issued from Oklahoma to West Virginia beginning late
tonight and extending into Wednesday.
The Chicago area may receive 1 to 3 inches of snow, with the greater amounts far south
trending to just a trace far north.
Low pressure is expected to move east-northeast Tuesday out of Oklahoma through Arkansas
and Kentucky; on Wednesday it's poised to track over West Virginia and affect the
Northeast.
If the storm follows the path indicated, a wide band of icing could cover portions of
Missouri, Arkansas and Kentucky. Heavy, wet snow will fall north of the low, with southern
portions of Illinois, Indiana and Ohio in line for 5 to 10 inches. A band of 3- to 5-inch
snowfall would fall north of the heavier snow through central portions of those states,
with lesser totals across northern portions, including the Chicago area.
--By Paul Dailey, WGN Weather Center Meteorologist

Dear Tom,
We saw at least eight robins in our front yard this afternoon (Jan. 21)!
Does this mean we will be having an early spring?
The Burns Family, Westchester
Dear Burns Family,
Robins wintering in the Chicago area prompt questions like yours
occasionally, but the answer is a definite "no." Those robins aren't
foretelling an early spring, nor are they lost or confused.
In the summer, robins can be found across most of North America, even Alaska
and far northern Canada. However, those northern robins migrate south for
the winter, or west to the mild Canadian Pacific Coastal strip.
Surprisingly, most of the United States, including the Midwest, is wintering
territory for Canadian robins.
Locally, most (but not all) of our summer robins migrate to Southern states
for the winter, but some will remain here if they are able to find berries,
seeds and dormant insects.

Upper level jet stream winds will flow nearly west to east over the Ohio Valley much of
the week ahead. This will allow the southern flank of cold Canadian-source high pressure
to maintain a foothold over Chicago. Through Tuesday, high temperatures will average
nearly 13 degrees below normal, then a moderation the latter half of the week will bring the
overall 7-day high average through next Saturday to about 7 degrees below normal.
Chicago will be situated on the northernmost side of low pressure systems passing far to
the south early in the week, giving cloudiness and periodic light snow or flurries.
Brief clearing should occur on the backside of low pressure on Wednesday, then a cold front
will drop temperatures and give another round of flurries Thursday and Friday. If computer
models prove correct, a brief one-day surge of warmer air could occur next Saturday,
just in front of another cold front next Sunday.
FLORIDA WARMS UP AFTER COLD SPELL
After low temperatures dropped into the low 20s across the north, and the mid-30s in
central portions of Florida this past week (some 15 to 20 degrees below normal) readings are
expected to edge up closer to normal levels this week.
--By Paul Dailey, WGN Weather Center Meteorologist

Dear Tom,
Is there a specific name for the big chunk of frozen slush that accumulates behind the tire
of a car? During extreme cold weather those things are like rocks!
-Jeff and Linda Hildreth, DeKalb
Dear Jeff and Linda,
We know exactly what you're referring to, but to our knowledge, those ugly "fender
clinkers" are unnamed. Sometimes, though, it's worthwhile to take a look at the lighter
side of winter life (because a smile might make a winter like the current one a bit easier to
get through). With that in mind, we asked around. Here are two answers from Rick Burdsall
of Palatine: "Yes, but it's not printable in a family newspaper, especially after you've
stubbed your toe while trying to kick it loose. And, transportational aggregate— it's
composed of ice, salt and the material that used to be in all those potholes that have
formed on Interstate [Highway] 90."

The arctic spigot is wide open as the 8th weekend of meteorological winter dawns. The
latest blast of cold air isn't as extreme as the chill that sent Chicago temperatures below
zero for nearly 48 straight hours just over a week ago. However, it's likely to produce
the coldest weekend temperatures here in 54 weeks with much of Saturday in single digits
and nighttime lows near zero. The cold air's been so pervasive this month that January's
average temperature is running 5 degrees below normal.
The chill isn't limited to the Midwest. Floridians have shivered in recent days. Key
West's Friday morning low was 47 degrees -- a reading that shattered the old record for the
date by 5 degrees.
In Marquette, Mich., snowfall has been so frequent, the seasonal tally is at 156 inches.
Waves of heavy snow sweep the central Rockies the next four days. Totals in excess of 4
feet are possible in the mountains of Colorado, Wyoming and Utah.
NEARLY 3 WEEKS SINCE BARE GROUND
Snow first covered the ground here on Dec. 1. Since then, 40 of the past 55 days have
boasted a snow cover of 1 inch or more at Midway Airport. Chicagoans haven't seen bare
ground since Jan. 5.
--By Paul Dailey, WGN Weather Center Meteorologist

Dear Tom,
Our mother told us that both my sister and I were born in snowstorms. She
was born on March 6, 1931, and I was born on Dec. 9, 1932? Can you provide
the details?
June Rohn, Elmhurst
Dear June,
It's true. Major snowfall followed both of your births, but your sister's
snowstorm was a much bigger event. From March 7-9, 1931, the city was hit by
16.4 inches of snow, the bulk of it (10.9 inches) falling on March 7. Your
snowstorm totaled only 6.5 inches, accumulating from Dec. 9-11, 1932. During
the early 1930s the nation was entering the "Dust Bowl" years, a period of
hot summers, extended summer drought and subpar winter snowfall. The
16.4-inch snowfall following your sister's birth accounted for 60 percent of
the entire 1930-31 winter total of 27.2 inches, and the December 1932 storm
provided nearly one quarter of the 28.1 inches that fell during Chicago's
winter of 1932-33.

Here's a beautiful sunrise photo taken in St. Charles on Friday morning. Thanks to Brad Welsh for sharing this great picture with us!
—WGN-TV Weather Center

Photo courtesy of Brad Welsh

Barometer readings in the Yukon, where Chicago's weekend weather has taken form, have
soared to levels rare -- even by arctic standards. Cold air masses are so dense, it's not
unusual for pressure readings within them to surge. The atmospheric pressure at the core
of this air mass -- strengthened by a frigid cross-polar injection of bitterly cold
Siberian air the past few days -- is predicted to reach 31.40 inches (1063 mb) over northwest
Canada early Friday -- a reading far higher than Chicago's record barometer reading of
30.98 inches (1049 mb). Air masses supporting such lofty central pressures rarely sit
still -- and this one is no exception. It's frigid southern flank invaded Montana and the
Dakotas late Thursday with 40 m.p.h. wind gusts and 24 hour temperature drops of 30+
degrees. The high's move into the Chicago area is to be marked by strengthening winds Friday
that will blow haze and any morning fog out of the area, but also to send temperatures
crashing to single digits Friday night. Though not quite as cold or as windy as the
barbarically chilly air which gripped the area just over a week ago, the Yukon high threatens to
produce Chicago's chilliest weekend temperatures in 54 weeks and more snow in the
Indiana/Michigan snowbelt.
--Tom Skilling, Chief Meteorologist, WGN-TV/Chicago Tribune

Dear Tom,
After our recent subzero spell it was raining in Lindenhurst with a
temperature of 12 degrees. How can this be?
Bob Old, Lindenhurst Ill.
Dear Bob,
We get this question a lot in winter, but the answer bears repeating.

The form in which precipitation reaches the ground is not determined by the
surface temperature, but by the temperature profile from the ground to
cloud-level.

Most winter precipitation begins as snow, but if it encounters
a deep enough layer of above-freezing air as it falls to earth, the snow
melts and turns to rain. If the rain refreezes when it makes contact with
the below-freezing ground, the result is a glaze-producing freezing rain.

Freezing rain usually occurs at least a couple of times each winter in the Chicago area
but surface temperatures are usually in the 20s or very low 30s.

These frosty photos taken at Daytona Beach are courtesy of Marty Eisses, a former intern
of ours here in the WGN-TV weather office. According to Marty, morning temperatures
dipped to the middle 20s causing widespread frost. Thanks for sharing these with us
Marty.

Bill Snyder---WGN Weather Producer

Temperatures surge above freezing for the first time in 18 days Thursday afternoon. The
timing couldn't be better. This is the day each year that Chicago's normal temperatures
begin their slow seasonal climb. A month from today, normal highs will be 7 degrees milder
and the period of daylight 75 minutes longer. Weather records reveal most years have
recorded nearly half of winter's coldest readings by this date. Still, that leaves plenty of
wintry weather to go. Almost half of a typical season's snowfall occurs beyond Jan. 22
-- something verified by the fairly active pattern expected later this weekend and next
week. Not only might snow occur Sunday, more snow is possible midweek and again late next
week.
The air mass responsible for Thursday's "warm-up" smashed records in the Plains and in
the West on Wednesday. The mercury soared to 71 degrees at Denver, 80 degrees in Phoenix
and 70 in Las Vegas.
The snow cover here cuts deeply into that warmth, forcing the mildest temperatures
several thousand feet aloft. But mid- to upper 30s are a good bet this afternoon.
The next bitter blast of arctic air roars into Chicago on Friday night, promising to
make the eighth weekend of meteorological winter among the season's coldest.
--Tom Skilling, Chief Meteorologist, WGN-TV/Chicago Tribune

Dear Tom,
I live a few miles west of O'Hare Airport, and I recorded 20 degrees below zero on Jan.
16, when O'Hare went to 18 below. How many times has it been 20 below or colder in
Chicago?
Dan Klein
Dear Dan,
Twenty degrees below zero or lower is a rare occurrence in Chicago. In 138
years of official temperature records, (1871-2008 -- a period comprised of 50,404
days), 20 below or lower has been recorded on only 15 days. That's one day out of
3,360, or about once every nine years. However, their occurrences were not evenly
distributed. Five of the "minus 20 days" occurred from 1872-1899, and then 83 years
passed before the next one, 26 below in 1982. That initiated a "Little Ice Age" here,
because another eight of those frigid days came in rapid succession through 1985. The
last and most recent was 21 below, on Jan. 18, 1994.

Jim Flis e-mails to tell us this frog--like so many Chicagoans-- is weary of winter. It's a
great shot! Thanks Jim!
-Tom Skilling

Photo courtesy of James Flis

Here's a great shot sent to us by John Smierciak who tells us:

"With all the lake effect snow we have been having recently I found this sunrise a nice cheer up this morning."

Thanks John!

Photo courtesy: John Smierciak

Snow fell measurably a 29th day Tuesday. It didn't amount to much at Midway and O'Hare
-- the snowfall was a lake-effect event, which meant the heaviest accumulations occurred
in lakeside areas of Cook County south into portions of Will County and east into the
Indiana lake-snow belt. The area near Porter, Ind., was socked with 9.3 inches of the fluffy
lake snow while 8 inches fell at Whiting.
The comparatively paltry 0.1 inch totals reported at the city's airports were enough to
establish one more onerous winter benchmark: becoming the first season since snow
observations began in 1884-85 with as many days of measurable snow on the books (29) through
Jan. 20. The seasonal snow tally at O'Hare is now 41.6 inches, dwarfing last season's
19.6-inch tally by 22 inches!
It's not cold everywhere. The 64-degree high Tuesday at Rapid City, S.D., set a record
there, while it was 67 degrees in Denver and 80 degrees in Phoenix.
THURSDAY'S MILD SURGE LIKELY THE WARMEST IN MORE THAN 2 WEEKS
If not for the area's extensive snowpack, Thursday's highs would surge into the low 50s
-- but the mid-30 to 40-degree readings predicted will be the warmest since Jan. 4.
--Tom Skilling, Chief Meteorologist, WGN-TV/Chicago Tribune

Dear Tom,
My mother told me that it was in the 60s just before the 1967 "Big Snow"
started. Is she right?
Roger Hitchcock
Dear Roger,
Your mother is correct. Chicago's biggest snowstorm occurred 42 years ago on
Jan. 26-27, 1967. The mercury soared to a balmy record-breaking 65 degrees
on Jan. 24, a day when strong thunderstorms raked the city. Wind gusts to
nearly 50 m.p.h. knocked down a wall of a building under construction. The
temperature did reach 54 degrees on Jan. 25, but then cold air swept in and
the historic snowstorm began during the early morning hours of Jan. 26.
Snowfall totaled 16.4 inches on the 26th and another 6.6 inches fell on the
27th bringing the storm total to 23.0 inches, the city's all-time record
snowfall. Strong northeast winds gusting in excess of 50 m.p.h. piled the
snow into huge drifts, shutting the city down for days.

Here are some wonderful photos taken of the lake-effect snows in Indiana on Tuesday.
—WGN-TV Weather Center

Photos courtesy of Carolyn Szepanski, Whiting, Ind.

The photo above is a wonderful example of a sun pillar. The vertical shaft of light is formed when sun shines through ice crystals.

Photos courtesy of Gerry From Valparaiso

It won't last long -- but a brief break in Chicago's subfreezing temperatures predicted
Thursday may well produce Chicago's mildest reading in more than three weeks. Our
forecast of 38 degrees Thursday would be January's mildest to date. Up to now, the highest
monthly reading has been 37 degrees on Jan. 4.
The 7-inch snow cover at Midway and 8 at O'Hare -- always a factor forecasters take
seriously when predicting "warm ups" this time of year -- will take a toll on the mild air
coming this way. The incoming air mass could produce 50+-degree highs in a non-snow
Winter 2008-09 is now the coldest in 8 years and is nearly 8 degrees colder than last
year. January's chill has been even more impressive, lagging the same period a year ago by
12 degrees and coming in as the coldest in a decade. The winter season ranks 15th
coldest in 139 years and has forced Chicagoans to increase home heating an estimated 21 percent
over last winter.
Cold air resurges this weekend, and a storm system sweeping toward the heartland early
next week could be a snow producer and will have to be monitored.
--Tom Skilling, Chief Meteorologist, WGN-TV/Chicago Tribune

Dear Tom,
I read that Ronald Reagan's inauguration in 1985 was the coldest on record.
Wasn't that also the date of Chicago's all-time low of 27 below zero?
Lucy Pennington
Dear Lucy,
Sunday Jan. 20, 1985, is the date of Chicago's lowest temperature. Shortly
after 6 a.m. the mercury fell to minus 27, and combined with strong, gusty
west winds, windchills registered a numbing 77 below zero. The
inauguration is on Jan. 20, but because it was a Sunday, Reagan's
second-term inauguration public ceremonies were actually held the following
day--Jan. 21. The same arctic air mass that brought Chicago its
record cold had also invaded Washington, D.C. canceling the parade and
forcing most of the ceremonies indoors. At the time of the noon swearing-in
ceremony, the temperature was at 7 degrees, only a slight recovery from the
morning's low of minus 4.

Sue Gesmond's series of pictures shows the winter wonderland created by lake effect
snowfall over her Portage, Indiana residence.

The reflective snow cover which covers the Midwest is evident in this areal shot west of Milwaukee at the 5,000 ft. level

Anson Mount, our friend and a pilot always on the go, sends us this shot taken Monday morning as he was flying over southern Wisconsin. Anson tells us,

"Shot this west of Milwaukee at 5000 ft. You can see Chicago of you follow the shoreline. The steam plume is the Kenosha power plant. Visibility was fantastic! Look at those cirrus clouds to the southeast."

Great photo as always—and THANKS for sharing it with us, Anson! By the way, happy birthday wishes are in order to Anson!

Tom Skilling

Photo courtesy of Anson Mount, Algonquin, Illinois

Check out Amanda Pickett's latest incredible close-up snowflake shots! They are being shot on her new camera. Amanda tells us,
"The camera can see detail I could never see with my eyes alone."
They are stunning shots! MANY THANKS, Amanda!!

Tom Skilling

Photos courtesy of Amanda Pickett

Rachelle Moore’s sister lives in Anchorage, Alaska and took these photos during that city’s multi-week sub-zero spell, which ended with 40s and a record 50-degree temperature last week. These are beautiful. Thank your sister for us, Rachelle---and thank YOU for sharing them with us!

Tom Skilling

Photos courtesy of Rachelle Moore and her sister who lives in Anchorage, Alaska

Carolyn Szepanski treats us to these shots of the fluffy snowflakes which fell in Whiting,
Indiana Saturday night as they glisten in nighttime light. Beautiful shots, Carolyn!

THANKS!

Tom Skilling

Photos courtesy of Carolyn Szepanski, Whiting, Indiana

Another set of extraordinary photos from our friend Jim Marocchi of
Winfield. Jim writes,

" During the peak of our recent cold spell, I tried to capture the
frost/ice that was on our porch windows. These really carry that cold
winter feeling, but with the beauty of the ice. Thought you might like
to see them, a direct result of -20 degree temps in the Winfield area."

They are spectacular shots, Jim! THANKS for sharing them with us!

Tom Skilling

Photos courtesy of Jim Marocchi, Winfield, Illinois

A strong north-south jet stream aloft continues to pour chilling air out of the Arctic
into the eastern half of the United States. This upper flow will shift east enough to
allow an intrusion of warmer air into the Midwest.
The southern extent of the snow cover extends from the Iowa-Missouri border through
Central Illinois into southern Indiana and then east to the Atlantic Coast. Sunlight
reflected off the white 32-degree surface works against any temperature increase. Thus, the warm
southwest flow into the Chicago area midweek will be over an expansive snowpack which
will inhibit its influence. Nevertheless, readings will reach well into the 30s on Wednesday
and Thursday. A cold front will sweep through the area Thursday night, and Chicago's
temperatures will plummet to zero by the weekend.
EVEN FLORIDA NOT EXEMPT FROM COLD
The chilling cold should push all the way into southern Florida midweek, with lows
Wednesday and Thursday mornings in the 20s across northern portions and the 30s in the central
and even southern portions of the peninsula.
--By Paul Dailey, WGN Weather Center Meteorologist

Dear Mr. Skilling,
How fast do clouds go?
Stephanie Hanson, age 11
Dear Stephanie,
Clouds move at the same speed (and in the same direction) as the wind that
is blowing where they are located. Wind speeds increase as you go upward,
and that means the clouds that you watch in the sky are moving faster than
the winds blowing on your face. It also means the highest clouds move the
fastest.
Wind speeds of 10 to 20 m.p.h. are common at the ground, and winds on a very
windy day in Chicago rarely blow faster than about 35 m.p.h. But higher up,
wind speeds (and the speeds of clouds) are much greater. Winds of 30 to 40
m.p.h. are common at a height of 5,000 feet above the ground. The strongest
winds (and the fastest speeds that clouds ever move) are in the cores of the
most powerful jet streams about 6 to 10 miles aloft. Those wind speeds
sometimes hit 200 m.p.h.

You don't want to be standing under these icicles shown by Susan Moran in Belvidere, Ill. Thanks Susan for the photo!
--By Paul Dailey, WGN Weather Center Meteorologist

Low pressure passed well to the north of Chicago on Saturday, minimizing the fine light
snow that fell over northeast Illinois. The low center tracked further north than Friday
forecasts anticipated, and as a result the heaviest accumulating snowfall occurred along
the low center track through northern Wisconsin into central Lower Michigan. Three to
five inches of snow fell over northeastern Wisconsin and then the low intensified as it
passed over Lake Michigan into central Lower Michigan. Winter storm advisories and warnings
were in effect over Lower Michigan until early Sunday morning. As of 8 p.m. Saturday
evening, snowfalls of 4 to 6 inches were common, with 13 inches reported in Antrim County in
northern Lower Michigan and Ludington on Lake Michigan in west-central Lower Michigan.
BRIEF 'WARM-UP' MIDWEEK
Strong northerly flow from the surface up to jet stream levels will keep temperatures
below normal over northeast Illinois into Tuesday. A slight weakening of this northerly
flow will then allow a temporary intrusion of warmer air midweek, with the warm-up peaking
just ahead of a cold front Thursday. High temps Wednesday/Thursday could be 4 to 8
degrees above normal.
--By Paul Dailey, WGN Weather Center Meteorologist

Dear Tom,
With all the cold weather, a few co-workers and I were wondering: What were the hottest
and coldest months ever recorded in Chicago? Melanie in accounting suggested July 1955
as the hottest, and Maggie in payroll suggested January 1985 as the coldest. They
remember things like that.
Kenneth Palmer, Chicago
Dear Kenneth,
Melanie is on the mark, and Maggie is a little bit off. In 138 years of official weather
records, July1955 stands as the hottest month ever recorded in Chicago weather history.
The average temperature that month was a sizzling 81.3 degrees, and 19 days registered a
temperature of 90 degrees or higher. Chicago’s coldest month was January1977, with an
average temperature of 10.1 degrees. A reading of zeroor lower was logged on 17 days
that month. January 1985 ranks as 9th coldest with 14.4 degrees.

Blasts of arctic air as extreme as this week's depart with all the speed of molasses in
January. The sheer density of these brutally cold air masses dictates that the
comparatively low density "mild" air replacing them must initially ride up and over the chilly air
before being mixed to the surface by gusty winds like those which greet Chicagoans
Saturday morning.
Friday morning's low of 18 degrees below zero at O'Hare was the city's coldest in 13
years. Lows of minus 18 or lower have occurred here only 30 times over the past 139
years.
Suburban lows were truly eye-catching! Sugar Grove bottomed out at minus 31. On only two
other days has a Rockford low been colder. Records there date back to 1893. A reading of
36 below in west suburban Ogle County's Rochelle was chilly enough to equal the state's
all-time low -- but the reading was on a thermometer whose calibration isn't monitored
closely enough to meet the criteria for inclusion as an official record.
Except for 20 minutes just after 11:30 a.m. Friday when the official temperature at
O'Hare crept above zero to 1 degree, the span of zero or lower temperatures reached 45
consecutive hours late Friday evening.
--Tom Skilling, Chief Meteorologist, WGN-TV/Chicago Tribune

Dear Tom,
You refer to cold outbreaks from the north as the "Arctic Express" or the
"Siberian Express." Any difference?
Arthur Hitt, Richland Center, Wis.
Dear Arthur,
"Arctic Express" and "Siberian Express," while pleasingly descriptive, are
colloquial, non-technical terms whose definitions have never been formally
or precisely stated -- and add "Pineapple Express" to the list, because it
often occurs simultaneously with the other two.
Those terms describe patterns of upper "steering winds" (generally 15,000 to
30,000 feet aloft) that direct surface air masses from the tropical Pacific
Ocean to Alaska (Pineapple Express), from the Alaskan/Canadian Arctic deep
into the Lower 48 (Arctic Express) or from eastern Siberia and the
Alaskan/Canadian Arctic similarly deep into the Lower 48 (Siberian Express).
"Siberian" implies an air-mass origin northward from Alaska and Canada.

It was colder Thursday afternoon in Chicago than at the North Pole -- 6 below zero here
versus 8 degrees. The day's unlimited sun had no impact on temperatures. Daytime readings
didn't rise. Minute ice crystals -- often incorrectly characterized as "steam" -- rose
from Lake Michigan. Temperatures as cold as Thursday's are extraordinarily rare here. The
day's high of 1 below at O'Hare occurred at midnight Wednesday. Of the 50,404 high
temperatures on record in 139 years of official weather observations, only 44 of them have
registered 1 below or lower.
The cold spell will ease -- but primarily Friday night as winds increase. Velocities may
grow strong enough to promote blowing snow -- especially in open areas -- late Friday
night through Saturday morning with 30 m.p.h. gusts possible.
Chicago's suburbs have experienced the area's coldest readings. Morning lows Thursday
hit 24 below at west suburban Sugar Grove and Illinois' coldest reading -- 29 below --
occurred 80 miles west/southwest of Chicago's Loop in Ashton.
'PINEAPPLE EXPRESS' WARMS ALASKA
Interior Alaska -- bitterly cold days ago -- has had local 105-degree temperature
increases to the 50s -- breaking records.
--Tom Skilling, Chief Meteorologist, WGN-TV/Chicago Tribune

Our thanks to Rusty Kapela, Warning Coordination Meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Sullivan, Wis., for sharing this video with us taken by Co-op Observer Josh Herman of Oshkosh, Wis.

Josh writes, "Here is my version of 'taking a cup of boiling hot water and hoisting it into the air as hard, fast and high as you can, and it will become an instant cloud of vapor.' The video was taken in Oshkosh, Wis. on Friday, Jan 16, 2009, at around 7 a.m. Temperature was -13°F."

Thanks Rusty and Josh for sharing this with us!
--Tom Skilling, Chief Meteorologist, WGN-TV/Chicago Tribune

Source: Rusty Kapela, National Weather Service-Sullivan and Josh Herman, COOP Observer, Oshkosh, Wisconsin

Michael Poczatek snapped the picture below around sunrise. He described the scene as "
eerie -- it seemed the clouds were frozen solid and sitting on the surface of the lake."

Photo courtesy of Michael Poczatek

Michael Lasky shares these beautiful pictures of Lake Michigan this morning.

Photos courtesy of Michael Lasky

Thanks to both for these wonderful images!
—WGN-TV Weather Center

Heather Nichols shares this photo of Scott Poling and Paul Eident of Oswego after a very cold morning run. Thanks to all three for sharing this great photo!
—WGN-TV Weather Center

Photo courtesy of Heather Nichols

Nina Catanese braved this morning's chill to snap this picture of the thermometer at her home. Thanks Nina!
—WGN-TV Weather Center

Photo courtesy of Nina Catanese

Dear Tom,
How many days in the winter does the temperature here in Chicago drop to zero
degrees or lower?
Jeff Honeycutt, Chicago
Dear Jeff,

It's greatly dependent upon where you are located in the metropolitan area. All the heat
generated in a city eventually escapes into the air, and Chicago promptly removes
snow, which effectively radiates heat away. In addition, Chicago sits adjacent to Lake
Michigan, whose water is a potent winter heat source. Chicago is therefore an "urban
heat island" whose effect, greatest in the core of the city near the lake, diminishes
outward into the suburbs and the rural countryside.

On average, the Loop experiences about six days annually with nighttime low
temperatures at or below zero; inland about four to seven miles, that number increases
to eight or nine days, and at ten miles, to 11-12 days; still farther out, in the rural
countryside, especially to the west, to 15 days.

Many people call it steam---these are actually tiny ice crystals coming off the Fox River
in Thursday mornings bitter cold. Jackie Hensley shares this great show with us! THANKS
Jackie—and please do your best to STAY WARM!! Many Fox Valley lows came in around or
below -20F this morning—and are headed into the same temperature territory Thursday
night/Friday morning!!

Tom Skilling

Photo courtesy of Jackie Hensley, DeKalb, Illinois

Jim Martino was kind enough to share some amazing snow pictures from Michigan's Upper Peninsula that he took earlier this week. Great for snowmobiling -- but not so great for moving parked cars. Thanks Jim!
—WGN-TV Weather Center

Photos courtesy of Jim Martino, Glendale Heights

Thursday is the midpoint of meteorological winter -- a point which should offer
winter-weary Chicagoans at least some solace. The 18 inches of snow which had by late Wednesday
accumulated over a record-tying 9 consecutive days of measurable snow -- only 11.3 inches
falls in an entire January -- has provided the warmth-suppressing snowpack over which
the frigid air has invaded. Snow is extraordinarily reflective, preventing sunlight from
warming the air above.

The current air mass swept into Alaska and the Yukon from Siberia more than three weeks
ago then stalled. But, a band of warm southerly winds, extending from Hawaii into the
49th state, have dislodged the chill and sent it spilling into the Lower 48. Temperatures
within the southbound air mass plunged to 47 degrees below zero Wednesday morning in
Embarrass and 45 below in Sea Gull Lake -- both in Minnesota. It's the reason Chicagoans face
winter's coldest readings, which threaten to include a nearly 40-consecutive hour spell of
subzero readings through midday Friday. It's not the city's longest subzero streak.
That occurred over 100 hours in December 1983. Uninterrupted subzero readings haven't
occurred here over a full calendar day here since Feb. 3, 1996.
--Tom Skilling, Chief Meteorologist, WGN-TV/Chicago Tribune

Dear Tom,
What is the date that Chicago's average temperatures start rising?
Joe Hoffman
Dear Joe,
We are rapidly approaching the mid January period that Chicago's average temperature
reaches its lowest value of the year--21 degrees, specifically from Jan. 13-18, after
which it begins it slow, but steady climb to the year's peak of 74 degrees from July
15-31.
These temperatures are derived from the current set of climatological normals
based on temperatures from the 30 year period from 1971-2000. The annual
temperature climb starts slowly gaining only two degrees to 23 by the end of January
but then gathers steam, reaching 31 by the end of February and 43 by the end of March.
Average readings climb to 53 by April 30, 64 by May 31 and to 72 by the last day of
June before leveling off after reaching the mid-to late-July peak.

Elliott Borchardt sent us these pictures of all the snow that piled up in Naperville

Photo courtesy: Elliott Borchardt

James Flis took this picture Wednesday afternoon in the middle of a heavy snow that
dumped three inches between 4 and 5PM on top of an already deep layer of snow in
Valparaiso, Indiana.

Photo courtesy: Jim Flis

Amanda Pickett said she "found the silver lining" in Wednesday's storm with these terrific
closeup snowflake shots in Winfield, Indiana.

Photo courtesy: Amanda Pickett, Winfield, Ind.

Wednesday afternoon moderate snow accumulated quickly on top of previous snow cover, maintaining single-lane traffic in Carolyn Szpanski's Whiting, Indiana neighborhood.

Photo courtesy: Carolyn Szepanski, Whiting, Ind.

Winter 2008-09 -- the coldest in 8 years -- is to turn brutally cold the remainder of
the work week once snow exits Wednesday. Temperatures drop below zero Wednesday night and
may remain there through Friday morning, producing what could be a 58 consecutive-hour
stretch of subzero temperatures over many parts of the area. Only in the Loop and near Lake
Michigan may the mercury struggle to zero (or just above) for a brief period Thursday --
though that's not guaranteed.
A full calendar day hasn't failed to break above zero officially in Chicago since Feb.
3, 1996, when the high was 5 degrees below zero and the low was minus 19.
The snow Wednesday -- the 26th day with measurable snow this season -- is the product of
the latest Alberta Clipper. With the system's storm center tracking to the city's south,
winds just above the surface may take on an easterly component -- blowing off the lake
-- for several hours Wednesday afternoon, producing lake snow showers in addition to the
system's 1-4 inch snowfall.
21st COLDEST WINTER OF PAST 139 YEARS
The 22.4 average temperature since Dec. 1 is 7 degrees colder than the same period a
year ago.
--Tom Skilling, Chief Meteorologist, WGN-TV/Chicago Tribune

Dear Tom,
What is greatest 24-hour snowfall ever recorded in Illinois? How about the state's record low temperature?
Thanks, Ed Berling Lockport, Ill.

Dear Ed,
It may come as somewhat of a surprise that both of these records were set in central Illinois and not in the normally colder and snowier far northern portions of the state. Illinois' greatest 24-hour snowfall dates back to a huge snowstorm that raked the central Midwest back on February 27-28, 1900 bringing 37.8 inches of snow to Astoria located southwest of Peoria. The storm center moved northeast out of Texas across southern Kentucky on a track that took it to northern Virginia. The all-time low temperature for the state was set just 10 years ago during a major arctic outbreak on the morning of January 5, 1999 when the mercury plunged to 36 degrees below zero at Congerville just east of Peoria.

The powerful winds sweeping the area as Tuesday dawns have sent some of 2 to 5 inches of
fluffy overnight snow airborne. Blowing and drifting snow is to cut into visibilities
through mid-morning -- especially in open areas where occasional white-out conditions
threaten. But it's the arctic chill these winds deliver which is to become Tuesday's major
weather story while igniting lake-effect snows in sections of the Indiana snowbelt. The
chill is the first and least formidable of this week's two arctic blasts. The intense cold
that follows Wednesday night and Thursday appears especially brutal and may produce
calendar day highs that fail to break above zero for the first time since 1996. Snow with a
more intense Alberta Clipper enhanced by lake moisture Tuesday night and Wednesday
threatens another significant snowfall.
FULL SEASON OF SNOW HAS ALREADY FALLEN -- 60 PERCENT OF SNOW HERE TYPICALLY FALLS AFTER JAN.13
Though it is not even mid-January, the city has already surpassed the 124 year long-term
seasonal snow average of 36.6 inches with 37.9 inches on the books. Typically 60 percent
of the season's snow is yet to fall, so the city could be looking at its second straight
60 inch-plus snow season.
--Tom Skilling, Chief Meteorologist, WGN-TV/Chicago Tribune

Dear Mr. Skilling,
Exactly what is a blizzard?
James Osborne
Dear James,
It's a misunderstood word, and it is often erroneously applied to storms that bring very
heavy snow. The National Weather Service defines a blizzard as a severe winter storm
with sustained winds or frequent wind gusts of 35 m.p.h. or higher and visibility
reduced by falling or blowing snow to 1/4 mile or less for at least three hours. The
National Weather Service will issue a blizzard warning when a winter storm is expected
to meet the wind and visibility criteria. Note that snow accumulation is not a criterion,
and a blizzard can actually occur with clear skies if the visibility reduction is caused by
blowing snow.

Because buildings block and slow winds, weather conditions in winter storms are
usually less harsh in cities. Urban dwellers often greatly underestimate the severity of
blizzards in open, rural areas.

Brett Borchardt of Naperville snapped this shot Monday evening on his back deck which shows the stack of snow which has resulted from the waves of snowfall since Friday. Brett tells us he’s been busy shoveling this evening—but we thank him for taking time to send us this shot!

Tom Skilling



Photo courtesy of Brett Borchardt, Naperville, Illinois

Still digging out from the weekend storm that brought up to a foot of snow to the city,
the Chicago area is bracing for three more shots of snow along with one of the coldest
arctic blasts in more than a decade.
With a polar express jet stream locked in place, a parade of storms is slated to roll
through the city this week bringing snow and severe cold.
Winter 2008-09 to date is already one of the snowiest on record, and that lofty total
should climb substantially by the end of the week. Chicago is poised to eclipse the 38-inch
total that normally falls during an entire snow season as early as Monday night.
High temperatures may fail to break zero Thursday, something not experienced here
since Feb. 2-3, 1996.
PARTS OF EUROPE ALSO REELING FROM WINTRY WOES
Severe winter weather has also been plaguing Europe in recent days. At least 12 people
have died in the cold that saw readings plunge to nearly 20 below zero in Poland and
Germany. Snow has snarled travel, and many schools have been forced to close. In southern
France, Marseilles recorded its heaviest snowfall in 20 years.
--By Steve Kahn, WGN Weather Center Meteorologist

Dear Tom,
In the winter of 1978-79 I remember a very snowy December and then came that
snowstorm that shut the city down. Was it on Jan. 1?
Mark, Fox Lake, Ill.
Dear Mark,
The winter of 1978-79 was Chicago's worst. It boasts an all-time record 89.7
inches of snow, plus a record 100 consecutive days of snow cover from Nov.
26 to March 5. December was very snowy with 31.4 inches accumulating,
including a New Year's Eve blast that brought 7.6 inches. But that snowstorm
was the famed "Blizzard of 79" that dumped 21.0 inches of snow on Chicago
from Jan. 11-14, bringing the city to a standstill. Snow was piled so high
that people tied flags to their cars so they could be seen as they
approached snow-clogged intersections. Side streets were impassible, and
many cars could not be moved until the snow finally melted.

More than a foot of snow blasted the northern portion of the Chicago area Friday and
Saturday. Officially the city reported 12 inches at O'Hare, making this the
largest snowfall here since 12 inches fell on Jan. 30-31, 2002. Snowfall totals tapered to
the south, with Midway tallying 7.9 inches. While the cleanup from this storm has just
begun, forecasters are already tracking several more snow systems. Some snow showers may
develop Sunday afternoon, but two fast-moving "clipper-type" systems promise more
accumulating snow Monday night and Wednesday.
THURSDAY COULD BRING THE CITY ITS COLDEST DAY IN NEARLY 13 YEARS
The real weather story will be the intense cold that invades the area later this week.
Temperatures will plunge in the wake of Wednesday's storm, falling well below zero by
Thursday morning. With arctic air gripping the area, Thursday's highs are expected to remain
below zero -- something that has not happened here since February 1996. Gusty northwest
winds will accompany the bitterly cold weather, sending windchills to dangerous levels of
30 degrees below zero -- or lower.
--By Steve Kahn, WGN Weather Center Meteorologist

Dear Tom,
In the 1946 movie "Gilda," Rita Hayworth sang "Put the Blame on Mame," a song that
mentions the Great Chicago Fire and the Blizzard of 1886. What’s the story with
the blizzard?
--Heikki Heino, Crete

Dear Heikki,
The blizzard of 1886 that the song references took place in Manhattan, not Chicago. The
storm began in New York the evening of Jan. 8, 1886, and when it ended, as much as 12
inches of snow covered Manhattan. The storm was accompanied by very high winds, and
drifting was severe. It took days to remove the snow, and newspaper accounts refer to
banks of snow up to 6 feet high lining the streets "as far as the eye could see." Before
reaching NewYork, the storm brought heavy snow followed by bitterly cold air to much of
the Midwest. Chicago didn't get much snow, but temperatures here plunged to 9 degrees
below zero in the storm's wake.

Chicagoans dodged a bullet Friday evening. Snows, which had slashed visibilities to a
quarter mile for several hours of the morning rush -- depositing as much as 3 to 5 inches
across the northwest and north suburbs and 1 to 3 inches in the city -- paused much of
the afternoon, sparing the critical evening commute period. But by late Friday,
intensifying snowfall had visibilities in free fall, covering roads with snow as the second major
wave of snowfall in the latest storm hit. A burgeoning corridor of heavy snow extended from
Iowa across northern Illinois, featuring visibilities as low as a quarter mile --
indicating heavy snowfall.
LENGTHY FRIDAY/SATURDAY STORM
THE BIGGEST SNOW-PRODUCER YET
The final snow totals in this storm are expected to breeze by the 4.8-inch O'Hare
Airport tally recorded Dec. 16, which had been Chicago's heaviest snow this season.
Snowfall this season has been historic. The 26.5 inches on the books late Friday ranks
as the heaviest tally at this point in a snow season since 2000-01 -- and the only total
as heavy by Jan. 10 since 1980.
Another potentially significant snow could reach the area Tuesday night.
--Tom Skilling, Chief Meteorologist, WGN-TV/Chicago Tribune

Dear Tom,
What are the highest and lowest barometric readings ever recorded in the
Chicago area?
Jack Wiaz, Highland Park
Dear Jack,
The National Weather Service and its precursor agencies have been recording
barometric pressure in Chicago since late 1870. During that period, an
endless parade of highs and lows have resulted in a barometric span of 2.28
inches of mercury between the city's pressure extremes. On March 12, 1923,
an intense storm system passed close to the city, bringing rain and
thunderstorms along with the city's lowest-ever barometer reading of 28.70
inches. On the up side, the highest barometer reading was recorded nearly 20
years ago on Feb. 16, 1989, when an arctic high settled over the upper
Midwest, sending the mercury here to a lofty 30.98 inches. Despite the very
high pressure, it was not exceptionally cold that day with a high of 26 and
a low of 8.

Our friend Jim Marocchi of Winfield, Ill., noticed this build-up of
ice while on a bike ride along the Fox River last weekend. More
extensive ice jams on rivers have been known to produce flooding during
thaws. Thanks Jim for the great photo!
--Tom Skilling, Chief Meteorologist, WGN-TV/Chicago Tribune

Photo courtesy of Jim Marocchi, Winfield, Illinois

This winter's 21st measurable snow is to be spread across 32 hours -- twice the length
of the city's most substantial previous snow this season -- and it arrives in at least two
distinct periods. Snow accumulates 1 to 3 inches in the first, enough to complicate
Friday morning's rush hour. But there are indications the snow band will shift north of the
city offering a break in snowfall, or at least a reduction to more occasional snowfall
this afternoon. But, the second wave of snowfall -- and this system's most substantial --
sweeps in later this evening and tonight and is likely to last into Saturday morning. At
that point northeast winds will have replaced Friday's southeast flow and the potential for
lake-enhanced snow showers (snow showers feeding off lake moisture) may take over into
early Saturday afternoon.
Our snowfall forecast -- 4 to 9 inches north of Interstate Highway 80, trending heavier
to the north and near the lake, and 1-3 inches with amounts trending lighter southa -- is
based on projections of 0.49 inches of water from the system which is to fluff into
about 6 inches of snow. The addition of 1-3 inches of lake snow finishes the tally.
HUGE NORTH/SOUTH TEMP SPREAD OF 85+ DEGREES IS FUELING STORM
--Tom Skilling, Chief Meteorologist, WGN-TV/Chicago Tribune

Dear Tom,
A recent column set the record straight that Chicago never had a month-long below
zero streak. However, didn't we have a string of below freezing days that lasted more
than a month?
Mel Theobald Chicago

Dear Mel,
We sure did. In the winter of 1976-77, Chicagoans endured a frigid 43 day stretch
where the mercury never broke the freezing mark. The temperature fell to 32 degrees at
1 p.m. on Dec. 27, 1976 and did not reach the 32 degree mark again until 10 a.m. Feb.
9, 1977. During this unprecedented subfreezing spell, the city logged 22 days with low
temperatures of zero or below. The coldest day was Jan. 16 with a high of only 7 below
and a low of minus 19. Snow fell on 29 of the 43 days with more than a foot from Jan.
8-10. Once the streak ended, mild weather returned with the city recording a balmy 52
by Feb. 11.

Measurable snow fell Wednesday for the 19th time, totaling 2 inches at O'Hare
International Airport since Tuesday and pushing the city's official tally past the 2 foot mark
(24.5 inches). The 2008-09 season is one of only five in the past 124 years in which
measurable snow (0.1-inch or more) has fallen that frequently. Over the term of official snow
records dating back to 1884, an average of 10 measurable snows has visited the area by Jan.
8 with a seasonal snow tally to date closer to 12 inches -- half as much as has fallen to
date this season. Nearly 66 percent of the city's seasonal snow typically falls beyond
this date.
While sun emerges from the clouds Thursday, an approaching weather system is to
encourage warm air to surge up and over the cold air mass predicted to remain in place into
Thursday night. That sets up another burst of snowfall Friday morning.

BLUSTERY STORM FRIDAY NIGHT INTO SATURDAY MAY TAP LAKE MOISTURE
More ominous is a Colorado low expected to track across Downstate Illinois and Indiana
Friday night and Saturday. Moisture will be available to this windy system -- including
some moisture off Lake Michigan.
--Tom Skilling, Chief Meteorologist, WGN-TV/Chicago Tribune

Dear Tom,
A recent column referred to the "old windchill formula". When and how was it
changed?
Marie Stevens
Dear Marie,
From 1973 through early 2001 the National Weather Service computed windchill based
on a formula developed in the 1940s by Antarctic explorers Paul Siple and Charles
Passel. Windchill values became iconic in Chicago during the brutal winters of the late
1970s and early 1980s when they frequently dipped as low as 50 to 80 degrees below
zero. However, later research concluded that these derived windchill values were too
low, and in Fall 2001 a new formula thought to be more realistic in the assessment of
the effect of wind and cold on human flesh, was implemented. Using the new formula a
temperature of 10 below with a 20 m.p.h. winds would produce a minus 35 windchill
compared to 53 below zero with the old formula.

Thanks for joining us for this Wednesday edition of Before the Forecast! There will be a system coming through on Friday that will bring us some snow for the end of the week into the weekend, and, most importantly, northwesterly flow will push the current frigid conditions up in Alaska down to our region by next Tuesday setting up for a harsh winter week. Tom Skilling has all the details on Tonight's Before the Forecast. Thanks to our weather intern Matias Sich, for helping us out with tonight's video.

For complete weather information, tune in to WGN News at 9pm and wgntv.com for Tom Skilling's Full and 7-day forecasts.

Tune in tomorrow for another edition of Before the Forecast, and as always continue
to watch WGN for more coverage: Morning, Noon & Nine.

Dan McGuinness sends us this spectacular shot of the snow-covered Chugach Mountains
and the Turnagain Arm near Anchorage in the midst of the recent spell of extreme cold
which has gripped our 49th state for nearly two weeks. This photo was taken from Beluga
Point on the Turnagain Arm southeast of Anchorage during an 11 day trip which took Dan
to the area over Christmas. This is such a great shot—THANKS Dan!

Tom Skilling

Photo courtesy of Dan McGuinness of Chicago

My colleague here at WGN Kelly Barnicle has forwarded to me these
extraordinary shots taken by her father Paul Barnicle in Massachusetts of December's
devastating ice storm responsible for knocking out power to millions.
THANKS for sharing these with us, Kelly--and thank your dad for the great photography!

These images were taken in northern Massachusetts and New Hampshire.
Near the town of Winchendon, Mass. (which is on the border)

Tom Skilling

Photos courtesy of Paul Barnicle and Kelly Barnicle

Astronomical smorgasbord
Our astronomy consultant Dan Joyce, astronomer at Triton College's Cernan Space Center was kind enough to share this spectacular array of photos with us. These shots were taken with the telescopes pictured below just south of Elizabeth, Illinois located in the far northwest part of the state near Galena. The crystal-clear dark skies of Jo Daviess County necessary to produce these great shots were provided by Dan's long-time friend Sheldon Faworski. Dan is currently building a new 12.5 inch telescope which is scheduled to be put into use in the next few weeks and should produce even more outstanding photos.

The 6 inch white scope and the 10 inch red scope

The 8 inch telescope

An emission nebula depicting a vast array of stardust glowing in the light of hydrogen excited by ultra-violet light of nearby stars known as NGC6820 about 1,500 light years out in the direction of the Cygnus-Cepheus border. This shot was taken by the 8 inch scope.

This is a picture of the star clusters of M38 (on the left about 4,500 light years) and NGC1907 (on the right about 14,000 light years out) in Auriga just north of the horns of Taurus. This photo was shot with the 6 inch telescope.

This photo shows the reflection nebula known as the "Ghost Nebula". vdB141 in Cepheus taken by the 10 inch scope and thought to be 2,500 light years away.

M38 is the 38th object in Charles Messier's catalog of objects not to be confused with comets.
NGC1907 and NGC6820 are those entries into Johann Dreyer's "New General Catalog" of objects including clusters, nubulae and galaxies. Finally, vdB141 in that entry into Sidney van den Berg's catalog of very faint objects.

Thanks again Dan for these great photos and accompanying explanations.

Posted by Steve Kahn WGN Weather Center Meteorologist

January's first accumulating snow hit Tuesday, totaling 1 inch at O'Hare Airport and 0.5
inches at Midway. More is due Wednesday. An upper disturbance due to reach the area
during the afternoon could build passing morning flurries into heavier snow showers -- any
one of which may produce a dusting to as much as 1 inch. Though a fraction of what can
happen this time of the year, these totals are enough to produce black ice -- hard to spot
slippery spots -- on area roads; caution is advised.
The winter storm behind the area's bursts of snowfalls is actually treating the Chicago
area comparatively kindly. Not so lucky are sections of 23 states to the east and south,
where thundery downpours are initiating flooding in the system's warm section, ice
accumulating in the mountains of Pennsylvania and significant snows likely to cripple sections
of northern New England and Canada's St. Lawrence Valley.
RARE JANUARY TORNADOES HIT IN 65-DEGREE WARMTH A YEAR AGO
Unseasonable warmth produced a rare mid-winter severe weather outbreak a year ago,
including tornadoes in Poplar Grove and Harvard in Illinois and Pell Lake and Paddock Lake in
Wisconsin.
--Tom Skilling, Chief Meteorologist, WGN-TV/Chicago Tribune

Dear Tom,
In what ways are the jobs of a meteorologist and a climatologist similar?
Dr. Leon Hoffman Chicago

Dear Dr. Hoffman,
Both professions are involved with the study of weather and the atmosphere,
but in general a climatologist deals with categorizing, cataloging and
ranking weather that has already occurred while a forecaster's challenge is
to predict the weather conditions that lie ahead. Climatologists provide a
wealth of information that helps meteorologists formulate their forecasts by
putting them in historical perspective through documentation of past weather
events and extreme conditions. A forecaster may be considering the issuance
of a forecast calling for an unusual event and proceed with added caution
when climatological analysis reveals that the expected weather would be a
very rare or unprecedented happening.

Check this out---Judy Walavich of Lake Forest shares this shot of an ice formation along
Lake Michigan there. Judy points out—and we agree with her---that it looks like the head
of a dog! Great shot---THANKS Judy!

Tom Skilling

Photo courtesy of Judy Walavich, Lake Forest, Illinois

Ron Laird, a pilot with Cathay Airlines and who lives in Aurora, Illinois, sends us this
picture of the hoar frost coating the trees in the midst of a bitter cold spell which has
gripped Alaska in recent weeks. Temperatures there remained below zero for six
consecutive days—that city’s longest sub-zero spell in ten years according to the
National Weather Service there. Ron, who tells us his work takes him to Anchorage five
to six days a month, snapped this photo around 10 am Alaska time Sunday morning out
the window of the Sheraton Hotel in downtown Anchorage. The view is looking south at
a cemetery across East 5th Street with the Chugach Mountains visible to the far left.
MANY THANKS, Ron, for sharing this with us! It’s quite spectacular! Stay warm!

Tom Skilling

Photo courtesy of Ron Laird

A period of light snow targets the Chicago area late Tuesday and Tuesday night,
threatening the first modest accumulations here in over a week. The ground's been free
of a 1-inch or greater snow cover for 11 days despite a seasonal snow total to date of
22.5 inches—an amount that is 176 percent of the "normal" tally and above last year’s
18.7 inches to date. At least an inch of snow has been on the ground 22 days this
cold season—ahead of average of 14 days through Jan. 6 over the past 15 years but
behind last years 26 days. The figure falls far short of the 41 days with 1 inch or more
of snow on the ground by this date in the record 1978-79 snow season. The brunt of
Tuesday’s storm will pass to the south and east of Chicago, with 15 states under some
form of winter weather advisory.

SEASONAL SNOW TOPS 120 INCHES ACROSS UPPER MICHIGAN--AND MORE COMING
Low pressure systems will produce almost continuous snowfall the later half of the
week. Several inches of new snow will add to already enormous seasonal tallies.

--Tom Skilling, Chief Meteorologist, WGN-TV/Chicago Tribune

Dear Tom,
One of my coworkers claims that during early 1980s Chicago temperatures did
not rise above zero for an entire month. I can't remember any period that
cold. Can you clear this up?
Barry Rosenberg
Dear Barry,
Chicago did experience an historic cold spell in 1983, but nowhere near the
magnitude described by your co-worker. The period in question occurred around
Christmas 1983. Temperatures in Chicago dropped below zero at 7 a.m.
Dec. 22 and did not break the zero mark again until 11 a.m. on Dec. 26
--a record 100 consecutive hours at or below zero. During this period the city
not only recorded its coldest Christmas Eve, with a low of minus 25, but also
its all-time coldest Christmas with a high of 5 below and a low of 17 below.
December 1983 was an extremely cold month averaging only 14.3 degrees- a
stunning 13.4 degrees below normal.

Thanks for joining us for this Wednesday edition of Before the Forecast! There will be a system coming through on Friday that will bring us some snow for the end of the week into the weekend, and, most importantly, northwesterly flow will push the current frigid conditions up in Alaska down to our region by next Tuesday setting up for a harsh winter week. Tom Skilling has all the details on Tonight's Before the Forecast. Thanks to our weather intern Matias Sich, for helping us out with tonight's video.

For complete weather information, tune in to WGN News at 9pm and wgntv.com for Tom Skilling's Full and 7-day forecasts.

Tune in tomorrow for another edition of Before the Forecast, and as always continue
to watch WGN for more coverage: Morning, Noon & Nine.

Here are some pictures of south central Alaska where the deep freeze continues. These images were taken by Tom Skilling on his recent vacation there.

Chicagoans will experience a "normal" January day today -- if there is such a thing.
High temperatures rise into the upper 20s, and that's pretty close to the climatological
expectation of 30 degrees on this date.
With seasonably cold air already in place, the next storm system is to be a
snow-producer for Chicago, but a dicey forecast situation is shaping up. The approaching low pressure
system will have tapped moisture from the Gulf of Mexico and therefore has the potential
to generate copious snow totals along and just to the northwest of the path of its low
pressure center. That path is expected to extend from Louisiana to Ohio and then northeast
into New England. Best estimate is that the Chicago area will see snow but remain
northwest of the belt of greatest snow accumulations (across central Illinois and northern
Indiana) late Tuesday into Wednesday morning.
LATE-WEEK SNOW AND ARCTIC BLAST
Another accumulating snow is possible Friday, followed by a powerful surge of air of
arctic origin. That means the weekend's nighttime temperatures are likely to be near or a
few degrees below zero. Chicago logs 10 subzero lows in an average winter.
--By Richard Koeneman, WGN Weather Center Meteorologist

Dear Tom,
Are there any portions of the country that are still considered to be in a
drought?
Patrick Carry, Waukegan
Dear Patrick,
Portions of the United States are still experiencing drought conditions but,
broadly speaking, drought is in retreat nationally. Winter is the most
favorable time of year to overcome drought across most of the United States
because temperatures are lower, and evaporation rates, compared to other
seasons, are minimal. Then too, actively growing plants draw huge amounts of
water from the soil, but vegetation, except for milder portions of the
southern United States, is dormant during the winter. On balance, a far
greater proportion of winter precipitation recharges soil moisture than in
other seasons. Pockets of severe but diminishing drought exist across the
western third of the nation, and the Southeast is pulling out of a two-year
drought. Texas, too, is still very dry.

It may seem counterintuitive to Chicagoans but, in its annual orbit of the sun, the
Earth actually passes closer to the sun during winter and swings farther from it during the
summer. It is a misconception that winter is cold because of the greater distance from the
sun this time of the year.
Astronomers refer to the point of the Earth's closest passage to the sun as perihelion,
and it occurs at 9 a.m. Monday when the Earth-sun distance shrinks to 91.3 million miles.
That's about 3.1 million miles closer to the sun than at aphelion (the point when the
Earth is farthest from the sun, in early July). On average, the Earth-sun distance is 93.0
million miles.
Chicago's winter temperatures average about 45 degrees lower than in summer, and
seasonal temperatures are little affected by the Earth's varying distance from the sun. Winter
is cold because the Northern Hemisphere tilts away from the sun at that time of the year.
TUESDAY-WEDNESDAY STORM
The next winter storm arrives at Chicago with snow, potentially heavy, beginning Tuesday
afternoon. Accumulations of at least a few inches are likely before snow diminishes to
flurries late Wednesday.
--By Richard Koeneman, WGN Weather Center Meteorologist

Dear Mr. Skilling,
What is WMO?
Larry Fhaner,9
Dear Larry,
Those letters stand for the World Meteorological Organization, the United Nations agency
that deals with weather and climate. The WMO is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland..
The WMO describes itself as "The UN system's authoritative voice on the state and
behavior of the Earth's atmosphere, its interaction with the oceans, the climate it
produces and the resulting distribution of water resources." Because the atmosphere
knows no national boundaries, the WMO believes the issues of weather and climate are
best served by an unrestricted exchange of weather information, and it encourages
international cooperation in that regard. That’s quite a mouthful, and I recommend you
visit the WMO's Web site: www.wmo.int/pages/index_en.html

Low pressure is forecast to track over Chicago this weekend. Temperatures will rise
slowly, reaching the lower 30s later this afternoon at about the same time rain spreads in
from the southwest. Some areas, especially north of the city, may experience a period of
freezing rain at the start, becoming all rain later in the evening.
Widespread freezing rain will occur farther to the north, with heavy snow expected
across northern Minnesota, Wisconsin and upper Michigan.
Rain will diminish and briefly change to snow flurries before ending early Sunday.
HEAVY SNOW AND COLD MIDWEEK
An upper-air disturbance will usher snow-producing low pressure through the Midwest
midweek with snow beginning later Tuesday in the Chicago area and continuing through
Wednesday before ending Thursday. Accumulations are likely with this storm, but the latest
forecasts place the heaviest snow well to the south and east of Chicago.
A strong northwest flow at the jet-stream level will steer arctic cold high pressure
into the northern Plains and Midwest Wednesday, and then persist over Chicago the remainder
of the week.
--By Paul Dailey, WGN Weather Center Meteorologist

Dear Tom,
The moon revolves around the Earth, and other planets in the solar system
have a few moons. Do any of those moons have their own moons?
Robert Miller, Chicago
Dear Robert,
You might be surprised to learn that the population of moons in our solar
system is considerably larger than "a few." The Earth has one, but at least
60 moons are in orbit around Jupiter, and Saturn boasts a minimum of 52.
We suggested to astronomer Dan Joyce of the Cernan Earth and Space Center
at Triton College that it would seem theoretically possible for moons to
have moons, but conflicting gravitational fields might pull them out of
orbit.
Joyce responded, "Yes, it's theoretically possible for moons to have moons,
but no, there are none known. By the way, our own moon does have artificial
satellites that are not in any danger of being yanked out of orbit any time
soon."

The last significant weather event to hit the Chicago area was the heavy rain of Dec.
27. Since then, the city has logged six consecutive days (including today) of relatively
tranquil weather.
Experience has taught Chicagoans that interludes of placid winter weather of that
duration are likely to end with a splash -- or a snow shovel. That's true of the situation at
hand. Two distinct storm systems have Chicago in their sights.
Gathering cloudiness on Saturday heralds the arrival of the first system -- a rather
mild event that brings light rain, possibly beginning as a period of freezing rain, by
Saturday evening.
BIG SNOW AHEAD?
The second system is the one to watch. It's to be the more energetic of the two, and
much colder as well.
Approaching from the south-southwest and dripping with moisture from the Gulf of Mexico,
it has the potential to put several inches of snow across the Chicago area Tuesday
afternoon into midday Wednesday, then frigid arctic air arrives in its wake. That cold air
will be accompanied by strong northwest winds and subzero windchill temperatures.
--By Richard Koeneman, WGN Weather Center Meteorologist

Dear Tom,
It's been rather snowy so far this winter. However, when was the last time
we recorded 10 or more inches of snow from a single storm in Chicago?
Dan Metcalf, Lisle
Dear Dan,
Residents of northeast Illinois know from brute experience it's not just
the amount of snow that determines a storm's impact, but a variety of
intertwined factors -- rate of snowfall, temperatures, winds, the time of
day, the day of the week, and the accuracy and timeliness of weather
forecasts leading up to the event -- to name a few. But big storms can
temporarily overwhelm any city, and a "ten-incher" is a big storm. Chicago
has logged 40 snowstorms of 10 inches or more in 124 years, or an average
of one every three years. The most recent storm of that magnitude was 10.2
inches on Feb. 12-13, 2007. Remember, though, that snow totals in any given
storm vary greatly across the city area.