It's not easy this time of year keeping temperatures as chilly as Tuesday's March-level
44-degree high--a reading 14 degrees below normal. The factors critical to making that
happen were all in place--a solid overcast, sporadic light rain and a northeast wind off
Lake Michigan. The reading marked Chicago's chilliest April 14 high in nearly three
decades--since the 35-degree peak reading on the date in 1980. The appearance of
sunshine late Tuesday in Rockford and Janesville and Madison, Wis., warmed readings in
those cities to 54, 57 and 59 respectively--levels significantly higher than the stinging
37- and 38-degree highs at Wilmette and Glencoe. The increasing amount of energy
delivered by sunlight will in the months to come ultimately defeat any move on the area
by the reservoir of cold air over what's left of Canada's steadily melting snowpack.
Chicagoans have watched the hours of daylight here lengthen from 9.1 hours in December
to Wednesday's 13.4 hours--an increase of more than 4 hours. At the same time, the
sun's daily track across the sky places it more than 30 degrees higher at midday than four
months ago as winter was getting underway. This sends sunlight three times as energetic
as in December cascading down on Chicago--a development which boosts temperatures.
Strong storms sweep drought-stricken Florida
Potent thunderstorms, at times more than 10 miles tall, brought much needed 1-inch+
rains to the Sunshine State on Tuesday, but the storms also generated a tornado
touchdown near Holiday, Fla. The twister—of EF1 intensity (95+ m.p.h.)— damaged at
least 50 homes.
-Tom Skilling, Chief Meteorologist, WGN-TV/Chicago Tribune
