Thunderstorms exploded to life along a narrow 20 mile wide corridor from Cook County southeastward into northwest Indiana midday Wednesday. An inland-moving lake breeze front was the meteorological culprit. It ushered easterly winds off Lake Michigan into a hot, humid air mass dripping with 1.50 inches of evaporated water. The inland racing flow encountered a windless tropical air mass, producing a pile-up of air which was forced to rise and cool. Thunderstorms soon resulted and towered above 50,000 feet unleashing torrential downpours. As much as 2.12 inches was measured at the Weather Bug rain gauge at Frazier Magnet School in Chicago as 63 m.p.h. winds raked Midway Airport and floodwaters submerged streets and basements in Cicero. The storms erupted over the same corridor repeatedly between 1 and 3 p.m.---a process referred to as "training." They generated more than 1,700 cloud to ground lightning strokes in just over two hours.
Heat enters third day Thursday; more storms due
Three consecutive 90-degrees have occurred at this early stage of the summer season in only one of three years at Midway Airport since 1928.
Heat enters third day Thursday; more storms due
Three consecutive 90-degrees have occurred at this early stage of the summer season in only one of three years at Midway Airport since 1928.
