Latest news with #MarkRatzer
Chicago Tribune
04-08-2025
- Climate
- Chicago Tribune
Air quality ‘moderate' in most of Cook County from Canadian wildfire smoke, but worse in northern Illinois
For the fifth day in a row, Chicago's sky looks hazy. Smoke from Canadian wildfires continues to affect air quality across the Midwest, though Monday's conditions were an improvement for most of the Chicago area. Monday morning, most of the city had moved into 'moderate' on the U.S. Air Quality Index, meaning the air is safe for most but potentially a risk to those particularly sensitive to air quality. The northern part of Cook County, however — especially around O'Hare International Airport — were still listed as 'unhealthy for sensitive groups.' Air quality alerts issued across Illinois as Chicago ranks worst in the world. But how safe are you inside your home?As wind picks up later Monday afternoon, the layer of smoke hazing Chicago's skyline is expected to disperse. There will still be some smoke tomorrow, however, according to National Weather Service meteorologist Mark Ratzer. Chicago will see a high of 82 Monday, or a few degrees cooler by the Lakefront. Ratzer expected wind speeds up to 10 mph, with partly to mostly cloudy skies throughout the day. Temperatures are expected to rise throughout the rest of the week. Tuesday will bring mostly sunny skies and slightly warmer temperatures, with a high in the mid-80s. There is a 20% chance of thunderstorms Tuesday afternoon. Wednesday, temperatures will climb into the upper 80s; Thursday through Saturday, into the lower 90s, and Sunday back down to the 80s. Sunday also has a chance of afternoon showers or thunderstorms. Humidity will increase slightly throughout the week but Ratzer emphasized it will not be like the extreme heat conditions Chicagoans dealt with in the last few weeks.
Yahoo
31-03-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Chicago weather: Severe threat expected Wednesday — but timing is still up in the air
Chicagoans can expect to see more severe weather on Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service. The weather for Monday into late Tuesday evening will be calm, with potential for storms to develop after midnight on Tuesday, said Mark Ratzer, meteorologist with the National Weather Service. Temperatures Monday and Tuesday are expected to stay in the 40s. Wednesday is then likely to see rain showers and thunderstorms, with temperatures expected to reach the upper 60s. 'The entire state is outlooked for an enhanced risk of severe thunderstorms,' Ratzer said, noting that areas that are outlooked for relatively high risk include southeast Wisconsin and lower Michigan all the way down into the lower Mississippi Valley. How Wednesday's severe weather will impact specific metro areas or what time the brunt of the storms are expected to hit is still unclear at this time, Ratzer said. 'It looks like it will have some of those showers and storms around in the morning, and as usually happens in these thunderstorm cases and severe weather cases, kind of what happens in the morning … will have a large impact on how this stuff evolves later in the afternoon,' Ratzer said. As tornado season ramps up, risks rise from Trump weather service cuts, experts say
Chicago Tribune
31-03-2025
- Climate
- Chicago Tribune
Chicago weather: Severe threat expected Wednesday — but timing is still up in the air
Chicagoans can expect to see more severe weather on Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service. The weather for Monday into late Tuesday evening will be calm, with potential for storms to develop after midnight on Tuesday, said Mark Ratzer, meteorologist with the National Weather Service. Temperatures Monday and Tuesday are expected to stay in the 40s. Wednesday is then likely to see rain showers and thunderstorms, with temperatures expected to reach the upper 60s. 'The entire state is outlooked for an enhanced risk of severe thunderstorms,' Ratzer said, noting that areas that are outlooked for relatively high risk include southeast Wisconsin and lower Michigan all the way down into the lower Mississippi Valley. How Wednesday's severe weather will impact specific metro areas or what time the brunt of the storms are expected to hit is still unclear at this time, Ratzer said. 'It looks like it will have some of those showers and storms around in the morning, and as usually happens in these thunderstorm cases and severe weather cases, kind of what happens in the morning … will have a large impact on how this stuff evolves later in the afternoon,' Ratzer said.
