Good Thursday, folks. We have a major pattern change taking place and it’s kicking things off with a line of strong to severe storms racing through here later today. This is the first of two fronts set to take our temps well below normal as we end July and roll into early August.
Temps over the past few days have been a big underachiever with many areas not even getting to 90. Temps today may struggle to 90 across the central and east as some cloud drift in from the northwest. A line of strong to severe storms will develop to our north and drop in here from the north, bringing the potential for damaging winds and some hail. There is also a very low tornado risk as well.
Here’s the current Severe Weather Outlook from the Storm Prediction Center…
The storms will also be torrential rain producers that can cause local high water issues, but the fast movement of the storms will help.
Much cooler and drier air presses in from the north behind the front as we go into Friday. This air is going to feel sooooooo good as highs are upper 70s to low 80s for many.
The weekend finds a deepening trough digging into the region, bringing more showers and thunderstorms with it. These kick in on Saturday and run through Sunday and that may be followed by an upper level low into next week…
Weekend temps will be held way down with clouds and rain around, but the real deal fall blast moves in early next week. We are likely in for a prolonged run of highs in the 70s and lows in the 50s for the first week of August. as this deep trough splits into the upper low…
I leave you with your Thursday thunderstorm tracking tools…
Current watches
Possible Watch Areas
Make it a great day and take care.
Look forward to the cooler weather.
The SPC has issued a Severe T-Storm Watch for all of Northern and NE IL, including the Chicago Metro Area, until 8:00 AM local time Thursday morning. There’s a dangerous derecho line of severe thunderstorms over Southern Wisconsin moving to the SE, which has caused numerous Severe T-Storm Warnings and even Tornado Warnings to be issued for that area. It remains to be seen if they will weaken at all when they move into IL.
The current dew point here at 1:15 AM is a very tropical 77 degrees.
Since it’s night, hopefully this derecho won’t be as strong as the one last August 10th that slammed into the area with 80+ MPH winds and caused severe damage with numerous, widespread power outages (32 1/2 hours at my house).
Temps have hit 90 or above in Richmond, Berea and Mt. Vernon.
Just to name a few.
Even though Severe T-Storm Warnings (for 70 MPH+ winds) were issued for the entire Chicago Area earlier this morning, the storms did weaken considerably as they moved from north to south through the area. The NWS said there were reports of considerable wind damage in the Northern Suburbs of Chicago, but by the time the line reached the SW suburbs where I am around 3:30 AM, the wind gusts had diminished to under 50 MPH. There was still a lot of rain and occasional lightning and thunder, but nothing out of the ordinary, and certainly not even close to last August’s historic derecho.
The fact that this was so late at night I’m sure had a lot to do with the storms weakening.
Glad the severe weather cleared your area Mike. With the heat over our entire area we don’t need any power failures. The longest I’ve been without power was 360 hours after the 2009 Ice Storm. With the lack of severe weather in our area this year so far we haven’t had any. Knocking on wood.
I’m more concerned about not receiving any rain as the chances are not that high. Most of the rain will fall to my North and East along with any severe weather.
The cooler weather coming next week will be more pronounce to my East, but we may have lower dew points.
This mini heat wave looks like is coming to an end, But i bet it won’t be the last one before summer is over with. Notice how quite the hurricane season has been so far. If i’m right we had 2 tropical storms so far and they were early before hurricane season officially started.
So far we have had five named tropical storms. Fred is next in line and I hope we don’t get to that point.
Thanks Schroeder for correcting me. Only two or three has made landfall is that correct?
Yes, that is correct only Tropical Storm’s Danny and Elsa made landfall. I think as we get into late Summer and early Autumn when La Nina kicks in, it will get more active. I wish we could stay in the neutral phase of ENSO as we have more of a chance for a Snowy Winter.
In the Fall and Winter 2022-23 NOAA in it’s extended outlook is forecasting ENSO El Nino event. Depending on the strength, that Winter could be cold and Snowy. Can’t wait to find out. LOL
As the country has bake this summer, i wouldn’t be surprise this winter might tend to harsh one.
Very well could be as there are no two La Nina alike. I think one of the analog years should be 2020 in the long range forecast for this upcoming Fall and Winter.
Does anyone have any idea what time the storms are supposed to get into central Ky.? I get off work at 7. I really want to be home before they start.
Thank you and everyone stay safe!
NWS and their forecasts make me scratch my head. For example – I got up at 4am right? I looked at the satellite and could clearly see cloud debris headed straight for us from the MCC overnight or MCV or whatever it is. The clouds would obviously cause temps to be lower….yet they still forecast a high of 93?? I mean, I guess it could happen but I don’t think so….not with all those clouds.
Marklex , we supposed to hit 97 here in my next of woods in western,ky. but we had some cloud cover and i don’t think were going to hit that mark. Currently its 90 degrees as of 2:45 central time.