The high pressure that first pulled into town Tuesday maintains its dominance over the local weather scene for a fourth day Friday. Winds aloft remain weak. That all but guarantees a sun-filled day Friday with temperatures well into the 80s--and even near 90 degrees. Friday's rain-free skies extend a dry spell that began in mid-July and during which only 0.81 inches of rain fell in the last 30 days. That's just 23 percent of the long-term average of 3.58 inches for the July 16 through Aug. 14 period and a fraction of the 6.25 inches which fell during the same period a year ago. It ranks as the driest mid-July to mid-August period here since the Dust Bowl year of 1934 and the area's sixth driest over the 139-year observational record in Chicago.
Air quality is diminishing as this air mass and its light winds linger. With a slow increase in ozone and particulate levels predicted in coming days, the Illinois EPA has issued 2009's first Air Pollution Action Day declaration for Saturday and cautions that Friday's air quality is likely to be unhealthful for sensitive groups. Similar advisories are in place in northwest Indiana and eastern Wisconsin, from the Illinois border north to Door County.
Far out in the Atlantic, a vigorous tropical wave which has moved off Africa in recent days and was situated near the Cape Verde Islands Thursday may become the 2009 Atlantic hurricane season's first named storm--Ana. It would be the latest in the season an Atlantic storm with a name beginning with "A" has formed since Hurricane Andrew in 1992.
Air quality is diminishing as this air mass and its light winds linger. With a slow increase in ozone and particulate levels predicted in coming days, the Illinois EPA has issued 2009's first Air Pollution Action Day declaration for Saturday and cautions that Friday's air quality is likely to be unhealthful for sensitive groups. Similar advisories are in place in northwest Indiana and eastern Wisconsin, from the Illinois border north to Door County.
Far out in the Atlantic, a vigorous tropical wave which has moved off Africa in recent days and was situated near the Cape Verde Islands Thursday may become the 2009 Atlantic hurricane season's first named storm--Ana. It would be the latest in the season an Atlantic storm with a name beginning with "A" has formed since Hurricane Andrew in 1992.
