WEATHER KAHNNECTIONS: July 2005 Archives

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM STRIKES ARLINGTON HEIGHTS MONDAY EVENING

Monday evening a severe thunderstorm packing winds to about 60 m.p.h., torrential rainfall and lots of thunder and lightning raced through the northeast portion of Arlington Heights. Rainfall totaled .92" which fell in blinding torrents in a span of just 15 minutes. This morning the streets are littered with twigs, leaves and small branches which succumbed to the storm's strong, gusty winds. The lightning during the storm was intense with many cloud to ground strikes. One clap of thunder was so loud that our whole house shook. I was sure that it had hit close by and this morning I discovered what had happened. A large tree in nearby Wildwood Park had been struck with a large limb split open and nearly severed from the tree.

A tree in Wildwood Park struck by lightning in Monday evening's storm.

Burn marks where lightning bolt hit

Another close-up view of burn marks

IT'S OFFICIAL-- FIRST CHICAGO 100S IN SIX YEARS--TEMPS STILL CLIMBING

At 1:08 p.m. this afternoon the city's official thermometer at O'Hare Airport reached 100º. This is Chicago's 61st official 100º day on the books and the city's first since the high of 101º reached on July 30, 1999.

Midway Airport observer Frank Wachowski reported a high of 103º
so far this afternoon that was recorded at 1:45 p.m. CDT. With brisk west southwest winds, there is also no lake cooling with Northerly Island also reaching a high temperature of 100º. With several hours of peak heating ahead, it is likely that readings will surge even higher.

The record high temperature for today is 105º recorded in 1934 and is also Chicago's all-time official record high.

WHAT IS A GUSTNADO?

A possible gustnado caused considerable damage in portions of Lake County Illinois early Wednesday afternoon near the town of Wildwood as a line of severe thunderstorms raced through the area. The gustnado typically forms along the leading edge of a thunderstorm outflow boundary called a gust front. Below is a feature from the Chicago Tribune weather page archives done several years ago explaining this unusual meteorological occurrence.

MCDONALD CREEK- BONE DRY

The drought of 2005 is taking its toll. Since May 1, I have measured only 1.5 inches of rain at my house, and more than half of that fell in just 30 minutes during one heavy thunderstorm on the 4th of July. Area soils are parched and cracked and unwatered area vegetation is severely stressed and in some cases dying.

Having lived in the northeast part of Arlington Heights for more than 35 years and frequently crossing and viewing nearby McDonald Creek, I have never ever seen it bone dry like I did today on my daily walk around Lake Arlington. After a torrential rain McDonald Creek can be a raging torrent, but usually it is a lazy, low flow creek. However, today for the first time in my memory, McDonald Creek is totally dry, another casualty of the increasingly severe Drought of 2005.

A view of McDonald Creek

McDonald Creek as seen from the west bridge leading to Lake Arlington

WELCOME RAIN COMES AT A PRICE

A severe thunderstorm struck the Arlington Heights area just before 1:30 p.m. on a warm and humid 4th of July afternoon. The quick hitting storm brought substantial rainfall to the area with .83" falling in a short period of time. Monday's rain was more than the .61" that fell here in the entire month of June in this parched area hard hit by this year's drought.

Though the rain will help plants in the short-term, the long term moisture outlook remains dim, with dry weather expected the rest of the week and the specter of more 90º-plus heat looming for the weekend.

The severe thunderstorm was accompanied by wind gusts estimated at between 50 and 65 m.p.h. Minor tree damage was scattered throughout the area, but some substantial tree damage occurred in the Scarsdale section of Arlington Heights.

4th of July tree damage in Arlington Heights

More damage from Monday afternoon's storm