An F2 tornado with ripped through the Daytona Beach, Florida area early Christmas afternoon doing considerable damage. Hard hit was the airport at the Embry-Riddle Aeronautical Institute where former WGN weather intern Marty Eisses is a student. Marty is also a weather observer at the Daytona Beach Airport and was on duty when the tornado struck. Scared but safe, Marty was able to send us these dramatic pictures of some of the damage incurred at Embry-Riddle.
PHOTO COURTESY: Marty Eisses
Ex-Chicagoan Jeff Hickman sent this picture of their chocolate lab enjoying the thick snow that recently blanketed parts of Colorado. Thanks Jeff for the snapshot!
Significant wind-driven lake-effect snows hit the snow belts of western Michigan and north-central Indiana Thursday. John Gehr of Holland, Mich., forwarded these shots from his neighborhood late Thursday and reports more than a foot fell in his area. National Weather Service co-op observers reported up to 21" in hardest-hit sections of Van Buren County, Mich. Wind gusts reached 48 m.p.h. earlier today at South Haven and Michigan City. Thanks John for the great snow shots!
--By Tom Skilling, WGN-TV Chief Meteorologist
Pilot Anson Mount, who flies out of Waukegan, snapped these shots of today's lake-effect clouds and snow bands while flying across the lake from Michigan. Check them out and read Anson's description of his photos:
Some snaps from this morning's crossing from Battle Creek to Waukegan at about 8,000 feet initially then down to 2,500 just offshore.
The first pic is approaching Kalamazoo; you can see the wedge shape to the cloud base as we approached the heavy snow bands.
The next is in the tops with ambient temps at 8,000 feet of minus 21 C ... the windows were frosted over!
The last is of the lake. You can see how the water is evaporating and can also see Chicago skyline in the distance.
Many thanks to Anson, who's a frequent and always reliable observer of our fascinating Midwest weather scene.
--By Tom Skilling, WGN-TV Chief Meteorologist
Our WGN-TV colleague Richard Koeneman and his dog Sadie take in the snow, which accumulated on Richard's back porch at the 3,650-foot level of North Carolina's mountains near Asheville. The same mammoth mass of frigid arctic air responsible for the Chicago area's bitter chill and healthy lake snows in sections Thursday across the lake snow belts of western Michigan/northern Indiana dropped porch air temperatures to 25 degrees at 5:15 p.m. Thursday evening.
--By Tom Skilling, WGN-TV Chief Meteorologist
National Weather Service COOP observer Chris Neaville shares these photos of last week's storm he took in the Mt. Pulaski area. Electricity still hasn't been restored to sections of the region.
-Tom Skilling
PHOTO COURTESY: Chris Neaville
The following images were taken by WGN Weather Center graphic artist Thomas Valle Friday morning on the North Side of Chicago:
The following images were taken by Tina Henry in Grayslake, Ill.
In Remington, Ind., snow wasn't the issue on Friday—it was rain that caused flooding as seen in these pictures below from Mary Anne Best.
Finally, Sharon from Palatine sent this picture taken Friday afternoon from her balcony across the street from the Palatine train station. The planter boxes are 8" deep, which will give you an idea of the amount of snow that collected on her balcony!
Thanks to everyone who sent us their photos!
