Mike Lynch of Lombard sends us a picture of what he calls his "snow crocuses." He explains:
I noticed them yesterday, and when I heard Steve Sanders ask about daffodils last night, I decided to take a picture for you this morning. Normally my daffodils are not far behind the snow crocuses, and I'm ready for Spring!
Thanks Mike for your photo!
—WGN-TV Weather Center
Mark and Karen Vogan of Scotland visited Chicago just a week ago. Mark, an avid weather enthusiast whose pictures and accounts of Scottish weather have appeared on this blog before, reports this winter has been mild overall in the U.K. -- but he was most interested in arriving in the Midwest to take in the mid-winter chill. He reports:
"Here are more icy lakefront pictures we took and also from the top of the Sears Tower on a brilliantly clear day; note the lake-effect snow clouds over on the Indiana and Michigan side of the lake.
Photos courtesy of Mark Vogan
The ice along the shore at the (Adler) Planetarium was on a day with east winds, and we witnessed the ice movement and overlapping of the slabs at they backed up against the shore. Amazing sights and sounds that I have never witnessed before."
Magnificent photos, Mark! Thanks for sharing them with us, and I'm glad you had such a good time here! All the best to you and your wife Karen!
--Tom Skilling, WGN-TV Chief Meteorologist
Many thanks for these beautiful shots of Lake Michigan shoreline ice to Xerxes Bhote, who along with his daughter, took them on Winnetka Beach this week. Our cold February has contributed to the extraordinary ice buildup this season. Many thanks Xerxes for sharing these photos with us!
Tom Skilling
Photos courtesy of Xerxes K. Bhote, Winnetka, Illinois
We’ve all watched the horrific events of recent weeks at Northern Illinois University with shock and sadness. The shootings there hit terribly close to home when we were informed that Patrick Korellis, an NIU intern in our office just last semester, had been among those wounded. Patrick is home and doing well for which we are grateful. But our hearts stopped here when we first heard the news and we feel profound sadness for the family and friends of those who lost their lives in the senseless shooting at Cole Hall there.
When these photos arrived from Kenny Chmielewski, a meteorology student at NIU, I just had to post these for you to see. They signify that the NIU spirit is alive. Kenny, we thank you for sharing these shots with us! Stay warm and let all know there we are thinking of all of you in these difficult times!
Tom Skilling
Photo courtesy: Kenny Chmielewski
These spectacular shots of Chicago’s lakefront in winter come to us from Jon DiGiuseppe. They were taken last weekend. These are magnificent photos and really capture the season, Jon! Many thanks!
Tom Skilling
Photo courtesy: Jon DiGiuseppe
These shots from Amanda Picket, taken around 7:30 am Tuesday morning, put that area’s snow on display. Jenny, Amanda’s kitty, is shown surveying the wintry situation. Great shots--thanks Amanda.
Photos courtesy of Amanda Pickett, Winfield, Indiana
Mary Anne Best shares these beautiful photos with us from the Remington,
Indiana area--hit by the same snowfall which produced widespread 4-6"
totals overnight (Monday night into Tuesday morning). Mary refers to
this as "sectional snow" since it seems to hit each year at basketball
tournament time. Thanks for the great shots, Mary Anne!
Tom Skilling
Photos courtesy of Mary Anne Best, Remington, Indiana
Kathy Caleca of Franklin Park shares these shots of the ice formations in Lake Michigan as taken during a recent trip to Navy Pier. Thanks for the beautiful shot, Kathy!
Tom Skilling
Photos courtesy of Kathy Caleca of Franklin Park, Illinois
A longtime friend of our weather office Don Kanner, who teaches physics at Lane Tech, shares this shot of the "shelves" of ice which which have formed on trees near Starved Rock to Chicago's west. Don was there over the weekend in search of Bald Eagles and was struck by the ice formations which he tells us he photographed on Dee Bennet Road across from Starved Rock. Thanks for passing this along to us Don!
Tom Skilling
Photo courtesy of Don Kanner of Lane Tech High School
Hope you enjoy these amazing shots of Wednesday's total lunar eclipse as viewed from northern Illinois and Indiana. These images were relayed to us by our WGN-TV viewers and loyal weather blog readers. I apologize for my delay in posting these. I was out at a National Weather Service conference in Maryland Thursday or they'd have been up sooner -- but I did want you to see them.
As always, our remarkable astronomer Dan Joyce did a terrific job in keeping us informed of the eclipse's progress. Thanks to all!!
--By Tom Skilling, WGN-TV Chief Meteorologist
Photos courtesy of Sheldon Faworki, Elizabeth, Ill.
Time-lapse photos courtesy of Thomas Nava, Northwest Side of Chicago, Ill.
Curt Renz, always a friend of this blog and our WGN weather office, provides us this shot of Wednesday's eclipse and explains: Below is a photo I captured of the lunar eclipse two minutes after maximum totality. It was taken from Arlington Heights, Ill., on 2008 FEB 20 at 21:28 CST. Saturn is toward the lower left and Regulus near the top. A reddish hue is apparent on the Moon. Even though the eclipse was in totality, the lower right limb of the Moon appears brightened because as viewed from that region the Sun would have been barely hidden by the Earth.
Photo courtesy of Curt Renz
Paul Hadfield shares these remarkable photographs shot downstate in central Illinois with us. Thanks Paul!
Photos courtesy of Paul Hadfield, Decatur area
Jay Kleeman offers us his shots of Wednesday’s eclipse. Thanks Jay!
Photos courtesy of Jay Kleeman
Even the Tucson, Arizona area has gotten in on some challenging winter weather this year. That’s the word from Chicago born and Lane Tech alumnus Tony Bogusz who watches our WGN Nine O’Clock News from Vail, Arizona—20 miles east of downtown Tucson. Tony’s sent us these beautiful shots taken within the past week of snow there and in the surrounding mountains. Tony asked I assure my viewers and blog visitors that “…they are NOT alone in the rough winter weather this season. Tucson has been hit with a good dose of “winter”, too.
With cabin fever taking hold of many here in given the wintry weather of the past month, your words offer solace to some who feel we’re alone with this year’s winter weather challenges. Great hearing from you, Tony!
Tom Skilling
Photos courtesy: Tony Bogusz, Vail, Arizona
Jay Kleeman shares these beautiful shots of Chicago and Lake Michigan's ice-filled waters which he took Friday evening. Cirrostratus at the vanguard of the southern Plains storms predicted to lift into the Midwest over the weekend are evident on several of the shots. Jay is a master at capturing our area in photos, and we thank him for sending them along to us!
--By Tom Skilling, WGN-TV Chief Meteorologist
Photos courtesy of Jay Kleeman
Last Wednesday's snowstorm provided a perfect environment for some winter fun. Emily and Amanda Page and their mother Katie, a science teacher at Rolling Meadows High School, took advantage of the day off from school to build an igloo and a snowman.
Photo by Katie Page
Photo by Katie Page
North suburban areas, like Round Lake Beach pictured here, sit beneath a literal pile of snow in the wake of Wednesday's mammoth snowstorm there. These photos from Pam Sobieski illustrate the point spectacularly. Great shots! Thanks, Pam!
--By Tom Skilling, WGN-TV Chief Meteorologist
Photos courtesy: Pam Sobieski
Mark E. Soya, taking advantage of our a generous snowpack, e-mails this "snow family" picture. He informs us the family members pictured are asking "Which way to some sunshine? We seem to be feeling a little under the weather lately!" Thanks for the photo and the sense of humor, Mark!
--By Tom Skilling, WGN-TV Chief Meteorologist
Photo courtesy: Mark E. Soya
Few areas were hit any harder in Wednesday's snowstorm than Waukegan as these photos from our friend and pilot Anson Mount illustrate. He took these at Waukegan Airport Thursday morning! Thanks as always, Anson! Great shots!
--By Tom Skilling, WGN-TV Chief Meteorologist
Photos courtesy: Anson Mount
It may have snowed big-time in north suburban Lake Zurich Wednesday, but the wait for the morning school bus goes on! Our thanks to Anne Meny for this shot of her son preparing to head off to school Thursday morning in the wake of the big storm the day before amid mountains of snow! It’s a great shot -- thanks for sharing it with us, Anne!
--By Tom Skilling, WGN-TV Chief Meteorologist
Photo courtesy: Anne Meny, Lake Zurich
These dramatic storm-in-progress photos were sent to us by Roger Townsend of Stockton in northwest Illinois, located west/northwest of Rockford toward Galena. That area was situated in the same heavy snow band which left up to 21 inches of new snow on the ground near Orfordville, Wis., (just west/northwest of Beloit) east to Lake and McHenry counties. Many thanks to Roger Stockton.
--By Tom Skilling, WGN-TV Chief Meteorologist
Photos courtesy: Roger Stockton
Far southern suburbs only grazed by storm’s flurries
Winter's latest snowstorm is finally winding down after producing whiteout conditions much of the day across Chicago's northwest and northern suburbs. Through 4 p.m., snow totals have reached and, in some areas, exceeded 14 inches from sections of northeast Iowa east across Galena, Rockford and into Lake and McHenry counties in northern Illinois north into southern Wisconsin.
While our Frank Wachowski reports just 1.9 inches is down at Midway Airport, 3.7 inches has fallen at O’Hare (the snow's still falling so we expect these tallies to rise modestly). Arlington Heights’ snow tally has reached 10 inches, and Mundelein's been hit with 9.4 inches of the heavy wet snow.
But, the heaviest amounts of all fell in the counties adjacent to and north of the Illinois/Wisconsin line. Totals there range from nearly 14 inches at Rockford and 13.9 inches at Beach Park (near Waukegan) to an estimated 16 inches near Winthrop Harbor.
Our WGN-TV observers indicate they've had to plow driveways and sidewalks as many as four times today alone to clear the snowfall. Visibilities from Arlington Heights north into southern Wisconsin have frequently dropped to 1/4 mile or less. One caller from Russell in northern Lake County told me he couldn't see his neighbor's home next door earlier this afternoon and advised no one travel up that way!
A note of caution -- this is heavy, high water-content snow -- what's been referred to as “heart-attack” snow. Shovel with care!
Enjoy these photos sent to us from Antioch, Illinois by Carl Frystak! THANKS Carl for sending them along!
--By Tom Skilling, WGN-TV Chief Meteorologist
Photos courtesy: Carl Frystak
The snow scene in northwest suburban Arlington Heights
Our friend Curt Renz shares this photo with us taken around 4:45 p.m. Wednesday afternoon at North School Park in Arlington Heights. Thanks Curt!
Photo courtesy: Curt Renz
Nearly 10 inches of snow has accumulated near Barrington, as is evident in this terrific photo from Steven Smith. Thanks for sending this along, Steven.
An update: Snowfall at Woodstock in McHenry County has reached 14 inches according to National Weather Service Cooperative observers.
--By Tom Skilling, WGN-TV Chief Meteorologist
Photo courtesy: Steven L. Smith
Wednesday's storm has dumped heavy rain from Chicago’s southern suburbs to areas south. Paul Hadfield shares these shots of water surging down the spillway off Lake Decatur in the wake of all the rain. Thanks Paul!
--By Tom Skilling, WGN-TV Chief Meteorologist
Photos courtesy: Paul Hadfield, Decatur, Ill.
Paul Hadfield, on his way to work Monday night, captured the dramatic lightning spawned by the evening’s powerful late winter thunderstorms. At one point, lightning data indicated as many as 800 cloud to ground strokes from the storms, some towering to heights of 42,000 ft. according to Doppler radar cloud top scans, in just a 10 minute period. Paul tells us:
“Right about when it was time to go to work last night, the heaven's opened up with an incredible deluge. It also turned into a giant lightning fest, the likes of which I haven't seen since last June.”
Many thanks, Paul, for sharing the spectacular shots with us!
Tom Skilling
WGN-TV Chief Meteorologist
Photos courtesy: Paul Hadfield, Decatur, Illinois
Nearly 10" of snow fell Thursday into Friday morning at west suburban Elmhurst. The season's heaviest accumulation to date along with a much greater frequency of snowfall this season is playing havoc with the city's salt supply and snow removal as evidenced by these photos. With weekend temperatures expected to surge just above freezing, some minor thawing is expected before a new snow threat Sunday night.
--By Bill Snyder, WGN-TV Weather Producer
Photos courtesy of Liz Valliyil
