FEATURE GRAPHIC: June 2006 Archives

Despite harrowing moments as wind-driven downpours, cloud-to-ground lightning and powerful thunderstorm gusts fueled by the muggiest atmosphere here since August 1, 2002, rainfall tallies were disappointing. Three waves of thunderstorms swept northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin Wednesday. Morning storms only flirted with the city, but delayed air traffic at the city’s airports. Gusts to 67 m.p.h. snapped trees and downed power lines as close as the Beloit, Wisconsin area. But it was a cluster of afternoon t-storms which exploded to life in under 15 minutes across Kendall, Grundy, DuPage and Will counties, which produced cloud tops radar-scanned above 60,000 ft. The powerful 48 m.p.h. gusts which swept Midway Airport flipped one small aircraft and moved three others. The storms proceeded to Michigan City 59 minutes later, producing 78 m.p.h. gusts.
-Tom Skilling