WEATHER SNAP SHOTS: March 2007 Archives

Bret from Manteno, Ill., has forwarded us this photo taken by his father off a balcony at Myrtle Beach, S.C. Bret tells us his Dad is wintering there. Thanks for the chance to more than glimpse at the sun, Bret, even if in a photo.

John Hazzard, one of our observers who farms at Wilmington, Ill., in western Will County, reports ponding water and saturated soil as the 2007 planting season approaches. He estimates 10 days of dry weather may be necessary before planting can begin. And John tells us the start of planting has occurred on average between April 18th and the 28th in the past 10 years and contrasts this season with last when subsoil moisture was precariously short after an extended spell of dry weather.
--By Tom Skilling, WGN-TV Chief Meteorologist

March 2007 has turned very wet as evidenced by river and stream flooding and saturated soils at many locations. More than 3" fell overnight in the hardest hit far south suburban locations. The ongoing flooding pictured here on Carpenter's Creek from observer Mary Anne Best of Remington, Ind., is the worst in at least 7 years. Mary Anne tells us she's seen water there only a bit higher in the 25 years she's been there. She adds:

"In the pics where you see the fencing to our internal yard and the bird feeder hanging off the fence....that is 10 feet above the level of the creek bank. There are may streets closed here in town due to high water. All of it is coming from Carpenter's Creek. The rain we got does not cause this kind of flooding. It is coming from Benton County on top of saturated ground."

Some overnight totals south of Chicago:

Muncie, IN 3.41"
Chatsworth, IL 3.13"
Remington, IN 2.79"
Bonfield (Kankakee County, IL) 1.75"
Wilmington (Will County, IL) 1.30"
Lowell, IN 1.10"

In Chicago proper, Frank Wachowski near Midway Airport reported at noon Friday that 1.45" has fallen at his location on the South Side since precipitation began Wednesday. Thanks to all for the reports and to Mary Anne for another illustrative photo set!
--By Tom Skilling, WGN-TV Chief Meteorologist

This spectacular shot of lightning arcing the length of a cumulonimbus cloud was taken by Hans Goeckner looking to the south on a flight over Tennessee back on November 10, 2002, giving us a view of lightning that we seldom see. Thanks Hans for sharing this photo with us.
—WGN-TV Weather Center

Powerful 47,000 ft. tall thunderstorms erupted, fueled by the year's second warmest and one of its most humid air masses, produced torential downpours. These scenes of flooding photographed by Anson Mount in East Dundee, Illinois were repeated in a number of Chicago's west and northwest suburbs—hardest hit by the day's storms. Rainfalls ranged from 1.47" at Algonquin, 1.37" according to Tribune meteorological colleague Steve Kahn at Arlington Heights, and 0.70" in south suburban Wilmington. Frank Wachowski reports 0.80" doused Midway Airport on Chicago's South Side while O'Hare's official rain tally had reached 1.07" by late Wednesday evening. Our thanks to Anson Mount for the great photos. -Tom Skilling Photo courtesy: Anson Mount

Cloud to ground lightning stroke along North Lake Shore Drive at 5:40 p.m. Wednesday Photo courtesy: Jim Bayne

Kevin and Laura Stupca were kind enough to share these dramatic photos of the Park Point area of Duluth in the aftermath of the two blizzards that recently swept through Minnesota. The huge snow drifts are a testament to how much snow socked the Duluth area. Thanks Kevin and Laura!
—WGN-TV Weather Center

Even though snow and high winds swept the entire Chicago metropolitan area Friday, conditions in the city were not nearly as bad as they were in more open rural areas. These spectacular blizzard pictures look like they could have been taken in North Dakota, but they were taken near Hebron, Ill., and sent to us by Robert Fesus of Round Lake.
--By Steve Kahn, WGN Weather Center Meteorologist

We get a real feel for the impact of Friday's mammoth winter storm, which has lashed the Upper Midwest with wind gusts clocked to 66 m.p.h. and snow accumulations up to 25", from these photographs relayed to us by Kevin and Laura Stupca, who live in Cloquet, Minn., about 20 miles west of Duluth. I want to share with you what they reported to us on Friday (March 2):

"These are pictures of our second blizzard (this one dumped around 2 feet) in a week – there have been only two blizzards in the last 15 years up here, both this week unfortunately! The snow is waist deep in some spots, our backyard fence is about 4 feet and the spruce tree out front is 6-7 feet high for reference. Winds blew at up to 60 knots (69 m.p.h.), and some drifts in the area are 15 feet!"

Many thanks Kevin and Laura!

--By Tom Skilling, WGN-TV Chief Meteorologist

March, 2007 opens with the creek pictured here in Remington, Indiana out of its banks as a result of heavy runoff on the frozen ground. Our observer there is Mary Anne Best, who shares this photo with us.

Thanks Mary Anne!

Tom Skilling

PHOTO CREDIT: Mary Anne Best