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Chicago Tribune
2 days ago
- Climate
- Chicago Tribune
Daywatch: Climate change is producing larger hail, researchers warn
Good morning, Chicago. During severe thunderstorms, rising air shoots icy pellets the size of Dippin' Dots ice cream into the bitter cold of upper atmospheric layers. There, supercooled water freezes onto the small particles to form hail, which then falls when it gets too heavy for the storm's upward draft. As climate change warms average global temperatures, hailstones larger than pingpong or golf balls will become more frequent — likely worsening the weather hazard's already billions of dollars in annual property damage across the country, according to a study published last year in the scientific journal npj Climate and Atmospheric Science. 'Climate change is obviously occurring,' said Victor Gensini, a meteorologist and professor of atmospheric science at Northern Illinois University who led the study. 'The question, for scientists, is often: How does that manifest itself (in) these smaller-scale extreme weather perils?' Insurance companies have reported rising hail damage claims from homeowners due to severe storms. In 2024, roof repair and replacement costs totaled nearly $31 billion across the country, up almost 30% from 2022, according to an April report from Verisk, a risk assessment and data analytics firm. Hail and wind accounted for more than half of all residential claims. Read the full story from the Tribune's Adriana Pérez. Here are the top stories you need to know to start your day, including: how neighborhood ties still propel violence in a changing Cabrini-Green, the best and worst from the City Series and our guide to Lollapalooza 2025. Today's eNewspaper edition | Subscribe to more newsletters | Asking Eric | Horoscopes | Puzzles & Games | Today in History The U.N. General Assembly is bringing high-level officials together this week to promote a two-state solution to the decades-old Israel-Palestinian conflict that would place their peoples side by side, living in peace in independent nations. Israel and its close ally the United States are boycotting the two-day meeting, which starts today and will be co-chaired by the foreign ministers of France and Saudi Arabia. The United States and the European Union agreed to a trade framework setting a 15% tariff on most goods yesterday, staving off — at least for now — far higher imports on both sides that might have sent shockwaves through economies around the globe. Gov. JB Pritzker and his fellow Democrats have been unrelenting in their criticisms of the tax and spending plan President Donald Trump signed July 4. But along with much-lambasted cuts to Medicaid, food assistance and education, the budget reconciliation plan Republicans pushed through Congress this summer includes a tax change that Democrats as well as some Republicans in high-tax blue states have backed for years. Julia Tate was headed to bed a few weeks ago when her daughter burst into their rowhouse screaming. Tate's cousin, Devon LaSalle, had been shot. The family had urged LaSalle to not come around the neighborhood so much, but he grew up in a now-closed part of the Cabrini-Green rowhouses. He still spent a lot of time there in spite of how much had changed since he was a kid on Mohawk Street. At 41, LaSalle was one of many people who stuck around the rowhouses even as development exploded around the now-vacant lots where the infamous high-rises once stood. The rhythmic rumble of the 'L' isn't a death rattle — yet. But Chicago's public transit systems are set to get gut-punched early next year by a funding deficit in the hundreds of millions of dollars. If state lawmakers don't agree to allocate more money to public transit, branches on half of the CTA's 'L' lines could go silent. So many bus routes would get slashed that Chicago would have fewer of them than Kansas City. Metra trains could be spaced one or even two hours apart, depending on the day of the week. A man accused of entering a Walmart in Michigan and randomly stabbing 11 shoppers before being detained by bystanders in the store parking lot is expected to face terrorism and multiple assault charges, authorities said yesterday. Another intriguing City Series, along with Dick Allen's induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame, highlighted a fun baseball weekend for Chicago Cubs and White Sox fans. Paul Sullivan details the best and worst from the City Series and Dick Allen's posthumous induction into the Hall. Overshadowed by much of the hand-wringing done this offseason regarding the Bears' depth — or lack of — when it comes to pass rushers was a discussion of how the new scheme will affect the players on the roster, writes Brad Biggs. In the early hours of July 31, 1985, Tommy Trotter thought he smelled smoke. 'I'm a light sleeper,' he told the Tribune. 'I went downstairs to check out the kitchen and it got stronger.' He could hear 'cracking' in the ceiling. The director of racing at Arlington Park racetrack in Arlington Heights, Trotter and his wife and son were staying on the second floor of the Horseman's Lounge in the posh Post and Paddock Club. He woke up his wife, sent his son to notify security, and told the switchboard operator to call the fire department. Imagine heading out to pick up your father's medicine at the neighborhood CVS one day, only to be stopped by four strangers who ask: 'Can I take a picture with you?' That's was what happened to Kriston Bell, 17. When approached, the Beverly resident asked if they knew him from somewhere. Their response: 'From 'America's Got Talent.'' The admirers took pictures to share with their kids. Lollapalooza returns to Grant Park, bringing another stellar lineup of artists that captures the current musical zeitgeist. This year's festival showcases an impressive blend of breakthrough acts and established favorites, with headliners like Olivia Rodrigo, Sabrina Carpenter and Tyler, the Creator.
Chicago Tribune
2 days ago
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
Damaging, golf ball-size hail will fall more frequently because of climate change, Illinois researchers warn
During severe thunderstorms, rising air shoots icy pellets the size of Dippin' Dots ice cream into the bitter cold of upper atmospheric layers. There, supercooled water freezes onto the small particles to form hail, which then falls when it gets too heavy for the storm's upward draft. As climate change warms average global temperatures, hailstones larger than pingpong or golf balls will become more frequent — likely worsening the weather hazard's already billions of dollars in annual property damage across the country, according to a study published last year in the scientific journal npj Climate and Atmospheric Science. 'Climate change is obviously occurring,' said Victor Gensini, a meteorologist and professor of atmospheric science at Northern Illinois University who led the study. 'The question, for scientists, is often: How does that manifest itself (in) these smaller-scale extreme weather perils?' Insurance companies have reported rising hail damage claims from homeowners due to severe storms. In 2024, roof repair and replacement costs totaled nearly $31 billion across the country, up almost 30% from 2022, according to an April report from Verisk, a risk assessment and data analytics firm. Hail and wind accounted for more than half of all residential claims. State Farm is raising homeowners insurance rates in Illinois by 27.2% beginning Aug. 15, according to a filing with the state last month. The rate hike, one of the largest in the state's history, will affect nearly 1.5 million policyholders. In addition, State Farm is implementing a minimum 1% deductible on all wind and hail losses, raising the out-of-pocket costs for homeowners filing a related damage claim. State Farm said its Illinois homeowners business has seen 'unsustainable' losses in 13 of the last 15 years and cited more frequent extreme weather events such as wind, hail and tornadoes, insufficient premiums to cover claims and the rising cost of repairs due to inflation. Last year, State Farm customers in Illinois reported $638 million in hail damage, ranking the state second after Texas. In May, roughly 100 researchers — including Gensini and other NIU scientists — kicked off the world's largest-ever coordinated effort to study hail in and around the Central Plains. But 'we will go wherever the storms are,' he said in a previous interview. The work is being supported with $11 million from the National Science Foundation and aims to improve forecasts of severe, damaging hail using data collected through technology such as drones, weather balloons, meteorological instruments that measure hailstone size and strike impact, and more. Better detection and prediction would allow people to protect themselves, their property and their livelihoods, preventing millions of dollars in losses. Between mid-May and the end of June, scientists tracked 28 hail events across 11 states in the Midwest, South and Mountain West. They recorded hail bigger than 3 inches in Colorado, Texas, Montana and South Dakota. Recent cuts to federal grants from the Trump administration have paused scientific endeavors in many areas, including weather forecasting, but organizers said the NIU-led study was not affected because funding was awarded last summer. Northeast Illinois has had its share of big hail this year, too. An early spring thunderstorm produced tornadoes and dropped pea-size hail across the area in mid-March; the largest hailstones reported were as big as half dollars in central Cook County. On May 15, 3-inch hail was observed in Livingston County, and 2-inch hail was also reported in northeast Lake County. Batavia was pelted by hail as big as tennis balls during a June supercell. According to the National Weather Service, for the last 30 years, the Chicago area has averaged 11 days of any size hail per year and two days of significant stones with diameters 2 inches or larger. In their study, published in August 2024, NIU researchers found that days with severe hailstorms with larger stones will increase most significantly in the Midwest, Ohio Valley and Northeast by at least five days from mid- to late-century. 'Depending on how hard you press the gas pedal — the gas pedal being human emissions of CO2 — that has a really big impact on hail that we see and, ultimately, where it occurs,' Gensini said. 'On average, we see bigger hail, more frequent bigger hail, and we actually see less small hail.' Using a model with high-resolution mapping offered researchers new, more granular insights into the future of individual storms and their hazards compared with the data that traditional global models produce, which Gensini characterized as coarse and grainy. 'It would be like the difference of a cellphone camera from back in the early 2000s compared to what we have now,' said Jeff Trapp, professor of climate, meteorology and atmospheric sciences at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. According to Gensini, a warmer climate concentrates more water vapor in the atmosphere, which in turn fuels thunderstorms and makes them more robust — with stronger updrafts that can suspend bigger hailstones. 'Take a hair dryer and turn it up on end, so it's blowing air straight up,' he said. 'It's pretty easy to suspend a pingpong ball right above that hair dryer. But now, what if you wanted to suspend a grapefruit or a soccer ball? You're going to need a much stronger updraft.' Warmer temperatures in the lower atmosphere would also melt smaller hailstones that fall at a slower speed, while really big stones would remain relatively unaffected. The model used in the study indicated a more than 25% increase in the frequency of large hailstones of at least 1.8 inches if planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions from human activities do not significantly reduce by mid-century. In that same scenario, stones larger than 2 inches could increase by over 75% by the end of the century, and there would be fewer hailstones smaller than a golf ball, or 1.7 inches. The National Weather Service considers severe any hail bigger than a quarter or with more than a 1-inch diameter. Anything larger than 2 inches can easily damage roads, dent cars and shred crops. Stones larger than 4 inches are called giant hail, and those larger than 6 inches are called gargantuan hail. Theoretically, the maximum size could be over 9 inches in diameter, like a bowling ball. The largest recorded hailstone in the country fell on June 23, 2010, in Vivian, South Dakota. It had an 8-inch diameter and weighed 1 pound and 15 ounces. The largest hailstone reported in Illinois was about 4.75 inches, the size of a softball, and fell on June 10, 2015, near the village of Minooka, 50 miles southwest of Chicago. Having researched severe storms, their hazards and their connection with climate change for decades, the U. of I.'s Trapp emphasized the need to study potential changes in hail's seasonality, too — even though 'there's not really a hail season, but there are times of the year that are more conducive to (it).' In Illinois, that's typically during the spring and early summer. 'This is an important question, I think, ultimately, to address,' he said. 'For people who do emergency management, as an example, so that they know that in the coming years, maybe the coming decades, there might be an expectation that their activity will be enhanced during an earlier or different time of the year. And we're seeing that with severe weather in general.' No matter the changes in hail size and frequency, the NIU researchers noted that the effects of this weather hazard — mainly in the form of losses and damages — will only grow as an increasingly urbanized landscape leaves more people and their property vulnerable to the pelting stones. Gensini called hail an understudied, 'underappreciated' storm peril. According to Verisk, noncatastrophic wind and hail roof claims increased from 17% to 25% between 2022 and 2024, which the company says highlights the growing impact of these perils despite the greater focus often placed on catastrophic events. 'Tornadoes are incredibly dramatic; they can produce casualties and fatalities. You generally just don't see that with hail; (stones have) impacts (on) assets and structures, and not necessarily people or their livelihood. But the trade-off of that is hail is way more frequent, way more common,' Gensini said. 'And because of that frequency, we see way more damage and way more impact, in terms of insured losses from hail, every single year.'
Economic Times
20-07-2025
- Business
- Economic Times
National Ice Cream Day 2025: All you need to know about this special day, check free ice cream, discounts, and more
Many ice cream and restaurant chains give special discounts to customers on the National Ice Cream Day.. Synopsis Get ready for National Ice Cream Day on July 20, 2025, with sweet deals from Baskin-Robbins, Jeni's, Dunkin', and Dippin' Dots. Retailers like Klondike and Popsicle are also offering discounts. Celebrated annually on the third Sunday of July since 1984, this day honors America's love for ice cream and its dairy industry, with Americans consuming about 23 gallons per year. As America gears up to celebrate National Ice Cream Day on Sunday, July 20, 2025, scoop shops and popular freezer aisle brands will be offering deals for customers to enjoy. There's no better occasion than National Ice Cream Day for people in America to celebrate the height of summer and cool off with a sweet treat. ADVERTISEMENT Many ice cream and restaurant chains give special discounts to customers on this day. American people celebrate National Ice Cream Day on the third Sunday of July every year. Baskin-Robbins From July 20 to July 26, Baskin-Robbins Rewards members can get $5 off when they spend $20 or more using a third-party delivery app. Jeni's Jeni's has a one-day offer for customers and ice cream lovers. The popular brand will serve a brand-new Sundae Fudge Sauce, a rich chocolate sauce with a hint of sea salt, for free with any scoop shop order. ADVERTISEMENT Dunkin'As far as Dunkin' is concerned, its Rewards members can get triple the points when they order any frozen beverage on July 20. ADVERTISEMENT Dippin' Dots Dippin' Dots is offering a discount of 25% to its customers on their online order on Sunday (July 20). Use the promo code NICD25 to avail of discounts. The stores of Dippin' Dots will also be giving away free mini cups of ice cream that day—any flavor—during a "two-hour window at our franchise locations," the company states on its website. The first 100 customers are assured a souvenir take-home cup. ADVERTISEMENT Chuck E. CheeseThe customers of Chuck E. Cheese, an American family entertainment center and restaurant chain, can get a free cup of Chuck E.'s Cookie Crunch Dippin' Dots, an exclusive flavor. They can avail this through a digital coupon available through their website. Retailer coupons and deals for National Ice Cream Day ADVERTISEMENT Instead of running after the ice cream truck, just go to a store and grab some ice cream on sale from the freezer section. Klondike Digital coupons live across Fetch, Ibotta, and Walmart Cash throughout July 2025 for Klondike ice cream products. Popsicle The brand is offering a buy one, get one free offer available at Target, Publix, and Kroger all people celebrate National Ice Cream Day on the third Sunday of July every year, thanks to former President Reagan. He created this day in 1984 to honor a treat enjoyed by over 90% of people in the US and to recognize the American dairy industry. The former US president also made July National Ice Cream Month and called ice cream 'a nutritious and wholesome food.' Americans eat about 23 gallons each year, the most in the world. Since then, this holiday has become a yearly tradition and makes everyone crave ice cream. (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel) (Catch all the US News, UK News, Canada News, International Breaking News Events, and Latest News Updates on The Economic Times.) Download The Economic Times News App to get Daily International News Updates. NEXT STORY
Time of India
20-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
National Ice Cream Day 2025: All you need to know about this special day, check free ice cream, discounts, and more
As America gears up to celebrate National Ice Cream Day on Sunday, July 20, 2025, scoop shops and popular freezer aisle brands will be offering deals for customers to enjoy. There's no better occasion than National Ice Cream Day for people in America to celebrate the height of summer and cool off with a sweet treat. Many ice cream and restaurant chains give special discounts to customers on this day. American people celebrate National Ice Cream Day on the third Sunday of July every year. Explore courses from Top Institutes in Select a Course Category Technology Data Science Healthcare Degree Data Analytics others Product Management Digital Marketing Leadership Cybersecurity CXO healthcare Others MCA Data Science Project Management Artificial Intelligence Management Public Policy PGDM Operations Management Design Thinking Finance MBA Skills you'll gain: Duration: 12 Weeks MIT xPRO CERT-MIT XPRO Building AI Prod India Starts on undefined Get Details National Ice Cream Day 2025: Check discounts by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Thousands Of Black Horse Customers Could Be Due Huge Compensation Resolve My Claim Undo Baskin-Robbins From July 20 to July 26, Baskin-Robbins Rewards members can get $5 off when they spend $20 or more using a third-party delivery app. Jeni's Live Events Jeni's has a one-day offer for customers and ice cream lovers. The popular brand will serve a brand-new Sundae Fudge Sauce, a rich chocolate sauce with a hint of sea salt, for free with any scoop shop order. Dunkin' As far as Dunkin' is concerned, its Rewards members can get triple the points when they order any frozen beverage on July 20. Dippin' Dots Dippin' Dots is offering a discount of 25% to its customers on their online order on Sunday (July 20). Use the promo code NICD25 to avail of discounts. The stores of Dippin' Dots will also be giving away free mini cups of ice cream that day—any flavor—during a "two-hour window at our franchise locations," the company states on its website. The first 100 customers are assured a souvenir take-home cup. Chuck E. Cheese The customers of Chuck E. Cheese, an American family entertainment center and restaurant chain, can get a free cup of Chuck E.'s Cookie Crunch Dippin' Dots, an exclusive flavor. They can avail this through a digital coupon available through their website. Retailer coupons and deals for National Ice Cream Day Instead of running after the ice cream truck, just go to a store and grab some ice cream on sale from the freezer section. Klondike Digital coupons live across Fetch, Ibotta, and Walmart Cash throughout July 2025 for Klondike ice cream products. Popsicle The brand is offering a buy one, get one free offer available at Target, Publix, and Kroger all month. National Ice Cream Day: History and significance American people celebrate National Ice Cream Day on the third Sunday of July every year, thanks to former President Reagan. He created this day in 1984 to honor a treat enjoyed by over 90% of people in the US and to recognize the American dairy industry. The former US president also made July National Ice Cream Month and called ice cream 'a nutritious and wholesome food.' Americans eat about 23 gallons each year, the most in the world. Since then, this holiday has become a yearly tradition and makes everyone crave ice cream.
Time Out
19-07-2025
- Business
- Time Out
Where to get free ice cream for National Ice Cream Day in the U.S.
To say that we love ice cream in the U.S. is a bit of an understatement. According to the International Dairy Foods Association, in 2024, 1.31 billion gallons of ice cream were produced in the country. On average, Americans eat around twenty pounds of ice cream each year, equal to about four gallons per person. That said, on a hot summer day, there are few more refreshing treats than ice cream. Whether you enjoy it in a cone, a cup or in a sundae with multiple toppings, the summer is the perfect time for this sweet, creamy, frozen dessert. And National Ice Cream Day is the optimal day for celebrating with some freshly churned scoops, ideally of the free sort. What day is National Ice Cream Day? If you didn't know it already, this Sunday, July 20 is National Ice Cream Day. But who wants to commemorate just one day when you can celebrate a whole weekend of ice cream, right? The best part? Ice cream sellers from coast to coast are celebrating this very summer holiday with deals aplenty. Keep scrolling to see some of the best. Where to get free ice cream for National Ice Cream Day in the U.S. Baskin-Robbins Beginning on Sunday through July 26th, Baskin-Robbins is celebrating National Ice Cream Day by offering Baskin-Robbins Rewards members $5 off orders of $20 or more placed through a third-party delivery service. Burger King On July 20th, the popular fast-food chain is celebrating the holiday by offering Royal Perks members a free Soft Serve ice cream cone with the purchase of $1 or more. Dairy Queen From now until July 20th, DQ is offering a free Dilly Bar (vanilla soft serve dipped in a crunchy chocolate coating, cherry or butterscotch) for DQ Rewards members with a purchase of $1 or more through the DQ app or website. Dippin' Dots This Sunday, Dippin' Dots will be giving away free mini cups of Dippin' Dots during a two-hour window (check your local store for giveaway hours). The first 100 guests will also receive a free souvenir take home cup. Friendly's Friendly's Fan Club Rewards members can get a free cone or dish of ice cream on National Ice Cream Day. Graeter's Sweet Rewards Loyalty Program members can get Member $1.55 single-dip sugar cones through Sunday. Jeni's On National Ice Cream Day, guests can add Sundae Fudge Sauce to any order for free. Marble Slab Creamery Marble Slab loyalty members will get a free small ice cream on National Ice Cream Day. My/Mochi Ice Cream To celebrate National Ice Cream Day, My/Mochi fans can enter to win a year's supply of ice cream when they follow the brand on Instagram, like a post, comment with summer plans, and tag a friend. Petco Even your furry friends can take advantage of National Ice Cream Day deals. Petco is offering free pup cups of ice cream in stores. Van Leeuwen To celebrate National Ice Cream Day this Sunday, Van Leeuwen ice cream is offering $3 scoops of its popular Honeycomb flavor from noon to 2 pm 16 Handles
