FEATURE GRAPHIC: April 2007 Archives

If you’ve sensed rain’s been in short supply here, you’re right. It’s been 11 days since measurable rain (0.01” or more) has fallen into Chicago’s official rain gauge at O’Hare—remarkably the longest streak without measurable rain in April since weather records began here in 1871. The month’s 1.48” tally to date at O’Hare and the 1.46” on the books at Midway is just half normal. That’s to change dramatically with the arrival of a blustery storm beginning late Tuesday night and lingering into Friday. More rain is likely to fall across the area over that period than has fallen the entire month to date!
Temps dove late Monday with a cold front’s passage and windshift off Lake Michigan. Between 4 and 5 p.m., readings at O’Hare tumbled 12°—from 70° to just 58°—ending Chicago’s second multi-day spell of 70°+ warmth.
The recent warm spell slashed April’s temp rank from 15th coolest only a week ago to 40th coolest of the past 137 years today.
--By Tom Skilling, WGN-TV Chief Meteorologist

There will be one more opportunity for thunderstorms Monday night and Tuesday in advance of a strong cold front—and then the doors to extremely cold air directly from the arctic will be opened. Projected atmospheric dynamics point to the possibility of severe storm development Tuesday.
Residents of Carol Stream in DuPage County—where a violent microburst Saturday night injured 11 people when it tore the roof off a three-story apartment building, battered several other nearby structures, and downed trees—will certainly be on the alert for this next weather system. Mild temperatures today will continue into tonight and probably up to noon Tuesday before cold air feeds into northeast Illinois. From that point on, readings will struggle to reach 40°, perhaps hovering in the 30s through Easter weekend.
Over the rest of the nation Sunday, only a few reports of hail and wind damage occurred in northeast Ohio, western Pennsylvania and West Virginia.
--By Paul Dailey, WGN Weather Center Meteorologist