Latest news with #MidwayInternationalAirport
Yahoo
02-06-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
We just finished a cool, dry May in Chicagoland — with a dust storm, too. What will June bring?
The calendar switched to June 1 on Sunday, officially kicking off the three-month period of meteorological summer — June, July and August. But without the aid of a calendar, Chicagoland residents may have been confused, because it sure didn't feel like summer was coming over the previous couple weeks. Monday forecast: Hazy sunshine, temps rising to the mid-80s in Chicagoland The second part of May was unseasonably cool, and the line of demarcation was a rare dust storm in Chicagoland. Daily highs were very warm at O'Hare International Airport from Monday, May 12, through Friday, May 16, with the mercury soaring to 94 degrees on Thursday, May 15. But after that strange dust storm kicked up on May 16 (see more below), Chicagoland plunged into an unrelenting pattern of cool temps for the rest of May. WGN Weather Page The average high temp for late May is in the mid-70s, but there were only two readings of 70 or above at O'Hare after Saturday, May 17, and those came on two of the final three days of the month. In fact, the high at O'Hare didn't even reach 60 for four consecutive days from Monday, May 19, through Thursday, May 22, bottoming out with a chilly high of 52 on Wednesday, May 21. On our scorecard of temps of 80 or warmer, we've racked up only a handful so far this year at O'Hare, with a few more at Midway International Airport. We will add two more, however, on Monday and Tuesday of this week as June begins. While the end of May was unseasonably cool, it was not unseasonably wet. May is typically our wettest month of the year, with about 4 1/2 inches of rain on average, but we were way behind on that amount — and well behind for the year. Since Jan. 1, we're down by more than 5 inches of precipitation. Some of that has to do with our lack of snowfall this past winter, but we've also just seen a dry May, with only 1 1/3 inches of precipitation, when we usually get more than 4 inches of rain in May. Not surprisingly, all of Chicagoland is under some form of drought at the moment. The USDA's Drought Monitor, released every Thursday, places most of us in the area considered either 'abnormally dry' or 'moderate drought.' But there are far worse drought conditions on the Great Plains as we get deeper into planting season. Perhaps June will ease the drought conditions in Chicagoland, since it's our third-wettest month of the year on average, with about 4.1 inches of rainfall. August is our second-wettest month on average at 4 1/4 inches of rainfall. But May is our wettest month on average, and we just finished a very dry May, so who knows what June and beyond will bring? The dry weather really showed up in a visual way during May that we rarely see around here. On Friday, May 16, strong southerly winds picked up a lot of dirt from non-yet-planted fields in central Illinois and hurled it toward Chicagoland in 60-mph gusts as a dark wall of dust. Former WGN Chief Meteorologist Tom Skilling talks about the May 16 dust storm Dust storms are something we see more often downstate, or out in more arid parts of the western U.S. The last time we had a big dust storm in Chicago was more than 30 years ago, and our biggest ever was part of the 'Dust Bowl' atmospheric phenomena in the 1930s, almost a century ago. But that Friday event in May was the first Dust Storm Warning ever issued for the City of Chicago proper. Lake Michigan water temps are on the rise as we begin June. Over Memorial Day weekend, we had our first water temp of 60 this year along the Chicago shore. Since then, however, we've backed those temps off to the mid- to upper 50s. That means the water is still dangerously cold, which is important to keep in mind as you get out and enjoy area beaches during the start of summer. Water colder than 70 degrees can zap a swimmer's energy very rapidly. As air temps warm up significantly Monday and Tuesday this week, make sure to wade into the water and not just jump. And, as always, keep lifejackets on kids anywhere near water. Remember, nearly all drowning deaths are preventable ones. While Monday and Tuesday will be much warmer than average, our extended temperature outlook into the first part of June is at or below average. But that doesn't necessarily mean cold, since the average high is now in the mid-70s. Average high temps later in June climb into the 80s for highs and the 60s for lows. The cooler-than-normal temps that have endured in Chicagoland lately are all part of a really wavy jet stream pattern that seems to have a root cause, in part, in the North Pole vortex that's being knocked again out of the Arctic Circle. This is sloshing colder temps into lower latitudes, where we all live. Get ready to enjoy long days and plenty of sunlight, because the longest days of the year are ahead in June. We're already getting sunsets past 8 p.m., and our longest days of the year happen in the northern hemisphere around the Summer Solstice on June 20. As we get into June with the long days, don't forget the sunscreen! Around lunchtime, all it takes is about 20 minutes on a sunny day to get a sunburn. Climate and Environment news: Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Monday forecast: Staying cool in Chicagoland, with increasing clouds — but no Memorial Day rain
Weather Maps Interactive Radar Climate & Environment If you're planning outdoor activities around Chicagoland on this Memorial Day, you should be fine, because there's no rain in the forecast. But make sure to have warmer clothes, especially if you're near Lake Michigan. Temperatures will again be on the cool side Monday, with highs in some locations about 10 degrees below average. You'll find the warmest temps in areas to the south and west of Chicago, where highs may reach the low 70s. But further north, highs will stay in the mid-60s, even as low as the upper 50s close to the lake. Winds will remain calm but will stay out of the northeast, creating the cooler lakeside temps. There's also plenty of sunshine around Chicagoland to start Memorial Day, but we'll see increasing clouds into a mostly cloudy afternoon. Tuesday and Wednesday look to remain cool, with rain chances increasing for Wednesday. Then, finally, by the end of the week temps look to climb back toward seasonal averages (see more below). Weather Maps Climate & Environment Interactive Radar Weather Bug Cameras 7-Day Outlook Weather Center Newsletter This current stretch of unseasonably cool weather for Chicagoland continues into a ninth consecutive day Monday, but it's going to break soon. The average high temp is in the mid-70s for this part of late May, but as you can see, we've been well below that since the start of last week (numbers are through this past Sunday): We did have some warmth this month, but it was quite fleeting. We hit our first 90-degree temp on May 15, which feels like a long time ago now. On our scorecard of temps of 80 degrees or warmer, we've racked up only a handful so far at O'Hare International Airport and a few more at Midway International Airport. But for those yearning for more summer-like conditions, we have good news: Warm air is on the way! Things look to take a turn toward at least seasonally average temps as we wrap up May and start June. Then things look to creep even above average for the first part of June, at least according to long-term forecast models at the moment. June, the first of our summer months, shows average daily highs at O'Hare beginning in the mid-70s and elevating all the way into the mid-80s by the end of the month. So even though it hasn't felt like it lately, summer is coming. That also means more sunlight, as we head into the longest days of the year around Chicagoland. Temperatures aside, we could definitely use rain in Chicagoland, because lack of rainfall has been an issue this month. May is typically our wettest month of the year, with about 4 1/2 inches of rain on average, but we're way behind on that amount. Since Jan. 1, we're down by 4 inches of precipitation overall, and some of that has to do with our lack of snowfall this past winter. But we've also had a dry May, with only an inch of precipitation during a month when we usually get more than 4 inches of rain. The dry weather really showed up this month in a visual way that we rarely see around here, too. It was just over a week ago now that strong southerly winds picked up a lot of dirt from not-yet-planted fields in central Illinois and hurled it toward Chicagoland in 60-mph gusts as a dark wall of dust. Dust storms are something we see more often downstate or out in more arid parts of the western U.S. The last time we had a big dust storm in Chicago was more than 30 years ago, and our biggest ever was part of the 'Dust Bowl' atmospheric phenomena in the 1930s, almost a century ago. But the event that happened a week ago last Friday was the first-ever Dust Storm Warning issued for the City of Chicago. Former WGN Chief Meteorologist Tom Skilling talks about Chicago's dust storm Not surprisingly, all of Chicagoland is under some form of drought at the moment. The USDA's Drought Monitor, released every Thursday, places most of us in the area considered 'abnormally dry' to 'moderate drought.' But there are far worse drought conditions on the Great Plains as we get deeper into planting season. Lake Michigan water temps are on the rise as we approach summer, but they're still very chilly. Last weekend, we had our first 60-degree water temp along the Chicago shoreline so far this year. Since then, we've backed those temps off into the mid-50s. The water is still dangerously cold. Water colder than 70 degrees can zap a swimmer's energy very rapidly. The first part of the week will stay cool, but we're looking at an uptick by the end of the week and into next weekend, when temps look to hit more seasonal averages as we get into June. Climate and Environment news: Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Chicago climate report: Lack of rain puts Chicagoland in drought territory
CHICAGO (WGN) — Chicagoland on Monday enjoyed some summer-like warmth to start the workweek, making it up to 80 degrees or warmer for the second time this year at O'Hare International Airport and the fourth at Midway International Airport. Typical high temperatures for this time of year are getting close to 70 and average low is almost to 50 degrees. So far this month, we've only seen two days with measurable rainfall. May is typically our soggiest month of the year. We're about an inch and a half behind where we should be almost halfway into the month. The lack of rainfall has pushed many of us around Chicagoland back into some form of drought condition. The latest USDA Drought Outlook that's released weekly on Thursdays has most of us in 'abnormally dry' which is the lowest drought level and some spots with 'moderate drought' towards the NW corner of Illinois. Much more significant drought conditions persist this planting season on the Great Plains just to our west. Water temperatures continue to gradually climb and more Great Lakes buoys are coming back online for the warm season. The coldest areas still have water temps in the 30s, which is why some areas see such dramatic cooling when the winds blow off the chilly lake water. At least along the Chicago shore, we're seeing temps consistently in the 50s. Water takes longer to both heat up and cool down, so we have many more weeks of the 'cooler by the lake' season. With temps getting close to 90 degrees on Thursday, the water remains cold. So, use extra caution if you're trying to beat the heat by dipping into the lake. Cold Water Shock can kill even the strongest of swimmers and Cold Water Fatigue can sap your energy very quickly in water this cold. This is now the prime season to see such warm air temperatures. We usually see our first day of 85 or warmer by the 8th of May. In the most recent allergy report, we're seeing High levels of grass and tree pollen. May is typically when tree pollen eases and grass pollen really starts to take off. And while we're warm this week, the trend is actually cooler for the following few weeks. Below average temps are looking more likely in the outlook going out to the 22nd. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
CBS News
12-05-2025
- Automotive
- CBS News
Driver slams through wall at Midway International Airport
A big mess was left behind at Midway International Airport Sunday after a driver plowed through a wall separating the road from the runway. The crash happened just before noon on the western side of the Southwest Side airport, at 55th Street and Central Avenue. Chicago Police confirmed there was a crash, but did not say whether anyone was hurt. Airport operations were not affected.
Yahoo
18-03-2025
- Yahoo
Crash causes car to jump curb, hit and kill 38-year-old man walking on sidewalk near Midway
CHICAGO — A crash caused a car to jump the curb and hit a 38-year-old man, killing him, while he was walking on a sidewalk late Monday night near Midway International Airport. Chicago police say three cars were involved in the crash, which happened around 11:15 p.m. in the 5200 block of West 63rd Street, in the Clearing neighborhood on the city's Southwest Side. Witnesses say two of the three cars were speeding down the street when the crash started. 6-year-old Texas boy visiting father on spring break dies after ATV crash in Joliet According to police, a preliminary investigation showed that a white Infiniti sedan was going west on W. 63rd St. when it sideswiped a black Infiniti sedan that was also going west. After those vehicles made contact, one then hit a white Nissan sedan that was going in the same direction. It was the white Infiniti, police say, that subsequently jumped the curb and hit the 38-year-old male pedestrian, who was taken to an area hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Meanwhile, police say the white Infiniti finally came to a stop when it crashed into an airport hangar. The man driving the Infiniti was taken to an area hospital in fair condition, while an adult female passenger in the car was taken to an area hospital with unknown injuries. Her condition was also not known, police say. Read more: Latest Chicago news and headlines The other three people involved in the crash — a man driving the black Infiniti, a female passenger in that car, and a man driving the white Nissan — were all uninjured, according to police. West 63rd St. was closed in both directions after being shut down for several hours after the crash, but it has since reopened. Police say citations are pending and Area One detectives are investigating the crash. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
