WEATHER SNAP SHOTS: May 2009 Archives

While the Chicago area was enjoying a sunny and warm late Saturday afternoon yesterday, strong hail-producing thuderstorms were lashing portions of  northwest Indiana. Thanks to Donna Wetzel for sharing this shot taken around 5:15 p.m. in downtown Rennselaer, Indiana. Pea-sized hail covered the ground and 0.90 inches of rain fell in just a few minutes.

 

 

Photo by Donna Wetzel

Mark Vogan, our intrepid observer and chronicler of the weather of Scotland and the United Kingdom, sends us these beautiful shots of the region's first low 70-degree temperatures of 2009. Mark and Karen (as well as their little cat Mia) have just moved into a new home, which is included in several of these shots! Congratulations on your new home, Mark and Karen---and give Mia a friendly pat from all of her new friends across the Atlantic!





Photos courtesy of Mark Vogan, Glasgow, Scotland

Our good friend and amazing photographer Amanda Pickett e-mails to tell us she was busy in her garden this past Memorial Day weekend. She, her husband and daughter managed to get the whole thing planted!  Way to go Amanda! Check out these beautiful photos she has sent us from her garden in Winfield, Indiana. Let me share a few sentences of explanation from Amanda's e-mail:
 
"It's a lovely day here in Winfield.  I got the whole garden planted over the Memorial Day weekend (with my husband and daughter's help of course) and everything enjoyed the light rains we have had here.



Here is a photo of a money plant flower with morning dew in my garden.  These are the plants that create those silver dollar sized, transparent, shimmery seed pods in the fall. 



Also included is a bumblebee on an onion chive flower.  Always happy to see the bees!"



And we're always happy to hear from you and see your beautiful photos, Amanda!  Happy Friday to you and hope the weekend's a great one!
 
Photos courtesy of Amanda Pickett, Winfield, Indiana

Dan Giampaolo shares this rainbow photo with us. He tells us the rainbow appeared for about 10 minutes between 5 and 5:30 p.m. and that he photographed them above Redmond Park in Bensenville.  Great shot! Thanks Dan!



Photo courtesy of Dan Giampaolo, Bensenville, Illinois

Colden Searles share this photograph taken late Thursday which shows crepuscular rays of sunlight emanating from breaks in the days persistent overcast.  Thanks Colden!!
 
Tom Skilling
 


Photo Courtesy of Colden M. Searles, Chicago

Photographed in the Gary area by Carolyn Szepanski. 

Check out another beautiful shot of Sunday's eye-catching sunset as photographed from Manteno, Illinois by Carole Fortenberry! THANKS for sharing this with us Carole--it's a beauty!
 
-Tom Skilling


 
Photo courtesy of Carole Fortenberry, Manteno, Illinois

Many thanks to Carolyn Szepanski of Whiting, Illinois for this shot of Sunday's beautiful sunset.  Carolyn has shared many beautiful shots with us over the years! 
 
-Tom Skilling

 
 

This late afternoon shot of a towering thunderhead (cumulonimbus cloud) near Springfield illustrates the vertical growth which took place in Tuesday's northbound thunderstorms.  Anson tells us he had to fly through a line of storms there--but did so successfully.  Great shots, Anson!  Thanks for sharing them with us.
 





The thunderstorms, predicted to continue sweeping the Chicago area in clusters, are shown here developing near Peoria. Our friend and pilot Anson Mount took the photo below at the 28,000 ft. level this morning as he was en route to Alton. The cell pictured here forced Anson to fly around it.  It's so interesting to look at the storms behind the heavy downpours, which have hit sections of the state with the tropical weather system now lifting northward from Missouri, from another perspective.  THANKS Anson!  Another great shot!
 
-Tom Skilling


 
Photo courtesy of Anson Mount, Algonquin, Illinois

Mike Zarnek was kind enough to send in this wonderful shot, taken earlier this month, of a bluebird at Ryerson Woods near Deerfield. Thanks Mike for sharing your photo!

Jennifer and Willy Mendez send along this photo of 4 newly hatched robins.  It was taken the day before yesterday by Matthew Weglewski with the birds just 5 days old!  The newborns offer us yet another sign we are well into spring!  Please thank Matthew for the great shot, Jennifer and Willy!

Thanks for sharing this with us!
 
Tom Skilling

A burst of wind--what Mike Zarnek decribes in his e-mail to us as a "mini-twister"---descended on the Des Plaines Canoe Marathon Sunday. Check out Mike's photos. Let me share with  you what he had to say about this in his e-mail account of the event:

"I was at the Des Plaines Canoe Marathon today (5/17/09) taking pictures and as I was standing near a tent a "mini-twister" or micro burst came roaring through right in front of me and tore up the tents.

I happened to have my camera at the ready and fired off a series of shots capturing the series of events.

The canoes in the background started to lift off the ground and people where yelling to "sit in the canoes" to keep them from taking off.

No one was injured."

We're glad to hear that Mike! A fascinating event.  Differential heating helps set these atmospheric swirls into motion. As one surface heats in the sun, the air above it heats and begins ascending.  The in rushing air begins to rotate and sets into motion what you witnessed. Often, such vorticies aren't as strong as the one you witnessed.  But there are many instances when they are and dust devils result.  You had what amounts to a dust devil--without a lot of dust.  No doubt the moist ground from all the recent rain held down the level of dust which Sunday's winds there might otherwise have sent airborne.  THANKS, Mike for a fascinating account of the event and for the terrific pictures!

-Tom Skilling

Dan Hein shares this photo of the Wilson Skate Park in Uptown. He reports he had to
wade out to clear the drains in order to facilitate draining. Great shot, Dan! THANKS for
sharing it with us!

Tom Skilling



Photo courtesy of: Dan Hein, Lincoln Park, Chicago

Mike Frankowski's photography is always something to behold---and this shot is no
exception! Mike captured lightning accompanying last night’s storms in the Rochelle,
Illinois area. Great shot, Mike---thanks for sharing it with us!

Tom Skilling

Photo courtesy of Mike Frankowski, South Elgin

Beautiful Friday morning sunrise

Thanks to Jim Marocchi of Winfield for sharing these pictures of this morning's beautiful sunrise.
The sun, rising amid fog and clouds created these spectacular shots.

Photos by Jim Marocchi

Steve Kahn WGN Weather Center

Kevin Sheely relays these pictures to us of mammatus clouds—the bumpy clouds visible here on the underside of a cumulonimbus (thunderhead cloud) anvil—taken this past Wednesday, May 6. And check out Kevin’s rainbow shots with the same storm. All were taken off I-35 in Osceola, Iowa. GREAT SHOTS, Kevin! Thanks for sharing them with us!

Tom Skilling

Photos courtesy of Kevin Sheely

With soils in many locations still wet, our northern Illinois farmers have been seriously
hampered in trying to plant this year’s corn crop. Still, our friend John Hazzard, who
farms in the Wilmington area of Will County and always provides us timely updates on
planting and crop progress during the growing season, sends us these pictures of some
limited corn planting which has gotten underway in his area. John tells us:

“The farmers in this picture are David and John Meyer's they farm 1100 acres between
Wilmington and Kankakee Ill. Not all fields are dry enough as more drying will be
needed to keep the planters rolling. This field has a sandy type soil which enabled Dave
and John to get a start.They’re hoping the string of dry day's continue for a couple of
weeks so they can get everything planted by then.”

THANKS for the update, John!

Tom Skilling

Photos courtesy of John Hazzard, Wilmington, Illinois

Check out ALL the airborne kites above Montrose Hill on Chicago's lakefront Saturday---perfect kite-flying weather!

Thanks to Colden Searles for sharing these shots of the Montrose Hill Kite Festival held Saturday, May 2. Colton tells us the photos were taken around 2:30 p.m. in the midst of perfect kite-flying weather!!

THANKS Colton!!

Tom Skilling

Photo courtesy of Colden M. Searles, Chicago

Our friend and photographer David Mayhew sends us these shots of a
high-precipitation-producing (or "HP") supercell taken last night in
Oklahoma.
Fantastic shots, David -- THANKS for sharing them with us!
--Tom Skilling, WGN-TV Weather Center

Photos courtesy of David Mayhew, David Mayhew Photography-Chicago