60-deg highs extend into a 3rd consecutive day; it’s Chicago’s mildest spell in 6 months
By Meteorologist Tom Skilling
The area’s mildest spell of weather in 6 months continues Thursday. The day is to produce the third of what is likely to become a six-consecutive day string of 60-degree or higher temperatures. Not since last October have so many 60+ degree readings been clustered together and the current mild streak may well include a 70+ degree temperature Saturday, the year’s warmest.
Warmth originating within huge air mass responsible for 90-degree highs Wednesday in the Plains
While the ongoing warm-up marks quite a departure from the chilly temps which have dominated so much of the past 6 months, readings here in Chicago pale in comparison to the warmth observed within this air mass Wednesday over the Plains.
Highs there hit 90-degrees at Russell and Phillipsburg, Kansas and Gage, Oklahoma. Mid 80-degree temps were observed north into South Dakota. Those highs averaged as much as 20 to 30-degrees above normal and fell within the warmest 10% of a number of weather stations’ April 10 peak daytime readings.
Thursday frontal passage to set-off showers; up to 60% of the greater Chicago area could see some rain before the day’s close
Scattered showers are to grow more numerous in the Chicago area as Thursday proceeds with the passage of a modest cold front passes resulting in a wind shift to the northwest. While huge rainfalls are unlikely, as much as 60% of the region may see a shower before the day closes—though a number of dry hours are to be interspersed.
Influx of year’s warmest air and highest moisture levels since last October to fuel powerful spring storm over the weekend; thundery downpours due Sunday
The weekend weather pattern grows far more complicated. A shower or thunderstorm can’t be ruled out at some point Saturday. But it’s Sunday into Monday that the main precipitation is to fall.
Thundery downpours Sunday into Sunday night may be produced by storms which bubble up into strong high altitude winds. That’s a set-up which can lead to powerful wind gusts and rainfalls in the 1 to 3” range—potentially the heaviest official tallies to occur here since late June last summer.
But even more interesting is the potential that a rush of colder air into the area Sunday night into Monday could lead to a wintry mix of precipitation—even a potential switch to snow—in sections of the Midwest, possibly including Chicago or areas close-by. We’ll be monitoring this situation in coming days.
Measurable snow’s occurred this late in the season in 30% of years
Sticking snow’s not unheard of this time of year—even with the advent of warm weather in the days immediately ahead.
Measurable snow’s been recorded 39 of the past 129 years beyond April 10th— 30% of those years. And April 15-16, 1961 even managed a 6.5” accumulation with 3.7” recorded April 14-15, 1980.
Warmth here has 4 days to run, fueling a powerful late weekend spring storm with big rains; late season snow threat not out of the question Monday…
ASK TOM: Chicago area’s April 1961 snowstorm
Dear Tom,
Your column about the April 2-3, 1975 snowstorm reminded me about an April 16, 1961 snowstorm when my fiance and I were stranded at my parent’s Chicago Heights home after our engagement party. Details?
— Bonnie Zarch, Skokie
Dear Bonnie,
The Chicago area recorded its largest latest-in-the-season snowstorm when 6.8 inches fell April 15-17, 1961. The bulk of the snow came down on April 16, when the city’s official site at Midway Airport measured 5.4 inches. The heavy, wet snow, piled into 5-to-10-foot-high drifts by winds gusting to 50 mph, shut down many area roads. The snow was heaviest south and east of Chicago with 5-to-9-inch totals common between Chicago and Indianapolis. But temperatures quickly rebounded into the 60s, melting the snow within a day or two.
Melting ice on Lake Michigan
Ice is gone in southern Lake Michigan and has melted in northern Lake Michigan. These photos are really fascinating and have been relayed to us from Joe Charlevoix who’s chief meteorologist at WPBN & WTOM-TV in Traverse City, Michigan and one of our former WGN-TV meteorological interns. The photos, sent to Joe by Chris Stapleton of Elberta, MI (near Frankfort, MI and southwest of Traverse City), show fascinating piles of ice in Lake Michigan left over from our cold winter. The shots also depict the melting of ice which has taken place across northern Lake Michigan. THANKS for these remarkable shots, Joe and Chris!
Weather snapshots
Yesterday afternoon and evening’s instability showers were subjects of a whole range of photos we received from our viewers. Like this one, taken from Woodridge by Veronica DeLuca. Virga–stands of rainfall–can be seen falling from the cloud.
Photo courtesy of Veronic DeLuca, Woodridge, IL
Or this rainshaft falling out of a shower near Kenosha, WI from Jonathan Friend.
Photo courtesy of Jonathan Friend, Kenosha, WI
Those showers produced rainbows all over the area. This one spanned the horizon and was the first rainbow of the the year over Wauconda according to its photographer Dirk Leahy. Photo courtesy of Dirk Leahy, Wauconda, IL
Or how about this double-panel shot from Veronica DeLuca over Woodridge Tuesday evening. Photo courtesy of Veronica DeLuca, Woodridge, IL
This panoramic view of one of last evening’s showers–with dramatic evidence of a rain falling from the base of the cloud—comes from Kevin Sheely. Photo courtesy of Kevin Sheely
And finally–the moon! It was spectacular last night and comes to us in all its glory through this beautiful photo from Lyan Xydas. The clarity of this shot is so good, you could plan a lunar landing with it!!! Thanks Lyan. Photo courtesy Lyan Xydas
Temps reach 60-degrees for only the 2nd time in 2014 Tuesday; fewest 60s at this point in a season in 21 years
By Meteorologist Tom Skilling
For only the second time this year, temperatures peaked at 60-degrees Tuesday. The low tally of 60s is a testament to how cool it’s been and how few and far between the year’s warm spells have been up to now.
Not since 1993 has a year reached April 9th with just two 60-degree or warmer readings on the books.
Over the city’s 144 year observational record, only 19 years have produced 2 or fewer 60s by now—that’s just 13% of all the years that comprise Chicago’s weather archive.
String of five 60s ahead, the longest mild spell in 6 months
If forecast trends verify, Chicago temperatures warm into the 60s each of the coming six days. The meteorological wild card governing the extent to which each day warms is, as is so often the case in spring, to be wind direction.
A flow from the east travels over cold lake water and tends to cool the lakeshore. A westerly flow, on the other hand, overpowers lake cooling and brings warmth up to area beaches.
Friday appears the first day in which easterly lake breezes may be a factor, bring cooler air ashore. But current indications suggest those winds will be light and fairly localized, so the areas cooled would tend to be localized and relatively close to the lake.
Weekend winds may be a bit more tricky. Indications are Saturday’s southerly flow could have an easterly component to it until a warm front crosses the area late in the day or at night. That would produce a situation in which inland readings would flirt with 70 while shoreline and beach temps might hold in the mid 50 to low 60-degree range.
Spin-up of powerful spring storm threatening thundery downpours Sunday
On Sunday, several models—including the respected European Center model—places Chicago in the latest spring storm’s warm sector with dew points, which reflect the moisture content of the air, headed to 60-degrees, signaling a significant flow of moisture into the area. That moist air would be able to fuel thundery downpours in the Sunday and Sunday night time frame.
The longest streak of 60s in 6 months ahead; thundery downpours possible in latest spring storm Sunday
