Thunderstorms erupted for a second day Thursday. Unlike Wednesday's storms, which
deposited heavy downpours over a majority of the Chicago area, Thursday’s storms
targeted the southern half of the region. Lightning production was far less prolific than
the day before--Thursday's storms produced 20 percent of the cloud-to-ground
strokes observed with Wednesday's storms (1,009 cloud-to-ground strokes versus
5,183). But the faster movement of Thursday's storm generated strong wind gusts
clocked at 58 m.p.h. two miles north of Ottawa just after 4 p.m. A succession of
thunderstorm warnings were issued—one of which extended into southern Cook
County. Other storm gusts included 49 m.p.h. at New Lenox and 46 m.p.h. in
Naperville.
Thursday's temperatures reached 80 degrees at Oswego and New Lenox and in Munster,
Ind.; 79 at Chicago's lakefront; and 77 officially at O’Hare International Airport.
Friday will bring the area its sixth consecutive day with a high of 70 degrees or warmer.
Spring temps rank among warmest 24 percent since 1871
Chicago's temperature since March has averaged 44.9-degrees--1.4-degrees above the
long term 138-year average and 1.2-degrees warmer than the same period a year ago.
It places this spring among the city's warmest 24 percent.
