Weekend is first in 3 weeks to be free of rains

The first full weekend of May is to be the nicest here in three weeks. Heavy
rains, including thundery downpours which produced flooding and hail this
past Saturday and Sunday, were among those which rendered the past two
weekends wash-outs. Rainfall at O'Hare totaled 1.41" last weekend and 0.90"
the weekend before. It appears the only threat of rain this weekend comes in
the form of passing sprinkles or even a few brief light showers Sunday
afternoon -- precipitation which may bypass some sections of the Chicago area.
The break in rainfall comes on the heels of an April deemed Friday 6th
wettest in 114 years of records by state climatologist Dr. Jim Angel of the
Midwestern Regional Climate Center. Angel reports statewide precipitation
averaged 6.20" versus the 3.80" considered normal.
Area farmers like Dave Behrens, who farms near Woodstock in McHenry County,
stymied in their attempt to get corn and soybeans in the ground, have grown
frustrated by the recent abnormally wet pattern. Behrens has planted just 5
percent of his corn versus 80 percent a year ago and says, "This is the
worst start in my 23 years of farming."
Weather improvement temporary; waves of rainfall
to keep coming the next two weeks
The weather improvement here is temporary -- likely to last into Tuesday.
That's providing a wet early week storm passes south of the city as
currently anticipated. A southward jog in the jet stream is behind the
improved picture -- though the thunderstorm spawning, high-altitude river of
air is to drift back north into the Midwest by midweek igniting clusters of
thunderstorms -- initially scattered Tuesday night then increasing in coverage
Wednesday. Widespread 1-2" rainfalls are possible.
--Tom Skilling, Chief Meteorologist, WGN-TV/Chicago Tribune