October's already impressive temperature deficit keeps growing. The month is running 8-degrees below normal---and the unseasonably chilly air which took hold here 17 days ago is showing no sign of departing through Sunday morning. Tuesday's 47-degree highs at O'Hare and Midway made it the chilliest Oct. 13 here in 82 years. The readings were 17-degrees below normal and 30-degrees lower than the 77-degree high a year ago---and missed by only 2-degrees the record low daytime maximum of 45-degrees set in 1909. It marked the fourth consecutive day in which temperatures failed to reach 50-degrees, a new early season record. Daily highs are predicted to remain below 50-degrees through Saturday.
The season's chilly, wet weather and recent frosts have hit Illinois farmers very hard producing one of the latest harvests in recent memory. The USDA reported Tuesday that only 57 percent of the state's corn crop has reached maturity compared to the 98 percent 5 year average. Late planting resulting from the spring's prolific rainfall and this summer's cool temperatures were factors. But most telling are the dismal harvest numbers to date. Just 6 percent of the state's corn has been harvested--56 percent is normal--while only 10 percent of Illinois soybeans have come out of the fields versus a five year average of 64 percent.
First storm of season lashes California; 8-inch-plus rain, 4+ ft. snows and 129 mph gusts
The season's first powerhouse storm--and not the last if the coming cool season follows trends observed in previous El Nino periods----lashed California Tuesday. 129 m.p.h. wind gusts were clocked at the 8,700 ft.level Donner's Summit and rainfall hit 9.32 inches at Fremont and 6.23 inches at Oakland. Snowfall in the Mammoth Lakes area was predicted to reach 4 feet at higher elevations. Waves of energy off that storm are behind the prediction of clouds, increased winds and periods of sprinkles and rain the next three days across the Chicago area.
The season's chilly, wet weather and recent frosts have hit Illinois farmers very hard producing one of the latest harvests in recent memory. The USDA reported Tuesday that only 57 percent of the state's corn crop has reached maturity compared to the 98 percent 5 year average. Late planting resulting from the spring's prolific rainfall and this summer's cool temperatures were factors. But most telling are the dismal harvest numbers to date. Just 6 percent of the state's corn has been harvested--56 percent is normal--while only 10 percent of Illinois soybeans have come out of the fields versus a five year average of 64 percent.
First storm of season lashes California; 8-inch-plus rain, 4+ ft. snows and 129 mph gusts
The season's first powerhouse storm--and not the last if the coming cool season follows trends observed in previous El Nino periods----lashed California Tuesday. 129 m.p.h. wind gusts were clocked at the 8,700 ft.level Donner's Summit and rainfall hit 9.32 inches at Fremont and 6.23 inches at Oakland. Snowfall in the Mammoth Lakes area was predicted to reach 4 feet at higher elevations. Waves of energy off that storm are behind the prediction of clouds, increased winds and periods of sprinkles and rain the next three days across the Chicago area.
