Friday, April 7

A cruddy day with dropping temperatures and rising windspeeds. Drizzly cold rain will be falling intermittently throughout the afternoon. Tomorrow the high will only reach the mid-40s, and the air will feel dry and wintry.

If you are like me and have just lost your job, you will stay inside watching movies and eating oatmeal. If you are not like me and are unfortunate enough to have a job, you should scowl and grumble, pull on your scarf, and try not to catch infections from your co-workers. However don't despair, next week will make everything better. There is a very good chance that the temperature will exceed 70 degrees sometime between Tuesday and Thursday.

Sunday, December 11

Temperatures will fall into the upper teens today as a cold front passes and the snow will start falling again in the early evening. Expect 1-2 more inches. Tomorrow it will warm up again, and then we will have another significant snow event around Tuesday or Wednesday.

Friday, December 9

Today will be clear and bright and cold with a high in the low 20s. Towards evening the wind will pick up and blow the snow around and sting your face. Tomorrow will be a few degrees warmer, but cloudy again...and there may be even more snow. I can't find an exact number (although I haven't looked very hard), but it looks as if 6-7 inches of snow fell in my neighborhood, and Midway reported 9.3". This is the snowiest early December since the infamous winter of '78, when my sister was born.

Friday, October 14

Sunny and pleasant with a high in the seventies.

Tuesday, October 12

Cool and grey.

Thursday Night

This warm front will head back up this way early tomorrow morning bringing thunderstorms and temperatures in the 70s. But as soon as it gets here it will decide to move along and drag a cold front with its own storms behind it in the evening. So be prepared for everything tomorrow. After that some boring colder (mid-50s) weather for a while, and then maybe some more stable warm air in the middle of the week.

Learning Corner : Ions

Dear Weather Goddess,

Could you please clear up a question for me? People are always talking about ions, and whether they are positive or negative.

Why should I care?
What do ions do?
Do they only change polarity during a good (or bad depending on whether you like them or not) thunderstorm?
Do animals freak out due to ion actions?

-Cat


As you may remember from high school science classes, ions are atoms that have lost or gained electrons and therefore carry a positive or negative charge. The earth's normal radiation creates positive ions in the air near its surface, while flowing or evaporating water will create negative ions in the air surrounding it. Why this is is beyond my powers to relate as the explanations are dense and boring and made me sleepy. So just trust me. When a thunderstorm comes along the air near the ground will become positively charged, while the bottom of the storm will become negatively charged. (Once again I can't really explain...) During the course of the storm the combined effects of lightning and rain will leave the air near the ground full of negatively charged ions.

Why should you care? Supposedly these negative ions are responsible for the happy, relaxed feelings we have after a thunderstorm, at the beach, or in the shower. It seems that there have been some real studies shown on this phenomenon that prove there is some truth to it, and seasonal affective disorder and other mild depressions may be partially attributable to positive ions.

As far as animals are concerned there are plenty of words on the web explaining their responses to positive ions before storms and especially before earthquakes. I didn't feel like plunging into that morass, but the answer may be out there if you feel like looking. You can also find quite a bit of speculation on the effects of ions on the stockmarket, crime, sports, politics, empires, dinosaurs etc.

If you are concerned about your positive ion exposure you can buy an expensive thing that shoots negative ions around your apartment, or you can just stop reading blogs, do the dishes and take a shower.

Wednesday Night

Okay, obviously, I was very very wrong. But luckily so was everyone else. So, no nice weather this week. There is this stupid front hanging out just south of us now, and the winds are blowing over the lake for the next day and a half, so we will have some cold blustery weather tomorrow, with a brief respite on Friday, and then some more crap over the weekend. The National Weather Service forecast is pretty dire for the next week, but Skilling is more optimistic, so I will go with him. Expect 40s tomorrow with high winds, then a brief period of warmth on Friday with a high in the upper 60s but dropping rapidly in the evening, then highs in the 50s for the next few days and another warming trend starting on Tuesday. (All of this will be accompanied by periodic rain and persistent cloudiness.)

Monday night, May 9th

My dear readers, I apologize for the long hiatus. I will give you two lame excuses: one, I was working very hard on my new website, conglomeratemap.org, and two, I then was simply lazy and tired for the last week and didn't want to look at the computer, but I think that might have something to do with the western edge of a high pressure system that was hanging out for so long, which always gets me depressed.

Now, happily, I have a wonderful forecast for everyone. Tomorrow will be nice and summery, with a high at or above 80. For the rest of the week we have what I consider to be ideal weather: highs near 80 and storms at night. So far nothing looks like it will be terribly severe, just a nice release at the end of the day.

Thursday Night

Hello everyone and sorry. I have been pretty sick, and also stressed from working on my conglomerate project. I promise a learning corner soon where I will spend time with all of your good questions about ions and wind and winter. But for now, a crappy forecast:

Crappy. Rainy and very windy, high in the upper 40s.

Friday

Another clear sunny day tomorrow, I wouldn't be surprised if the high reaches 70 as the winds continue to diminish. More of the same for the next few days, with each day getting warmer. Unfortunately these clear nights will be cold, so bring a jacket if you are going to be galavanting around after dark.

Wednesday

Cold, sunny and windy. High of 45. Everything will seem to require more energy than it should.

Will someone ask me a weather question?

Please? I'm bored.

Tuesday

Sorry, yesterday's forecast was kind of wrong. I just repeated what they told me, and what they told me looked right. Today will be rainy and cooler with a high in the 50s. After that it will be windy and sunny for a few days, and I think the next nice day will probably be Friday or Saturday.

Monday

Today will be a letdown after yesterday. Cloudy with a high around 60. We would have considered this warm a few weeks ago but it will feel slightly cold and we will worry about catching a cold. Tuesday will be rainy and chilly, but things should brighten up again on Wednesday afternoon, and the temperatures will rise as the weekend approaches.

Friday

Clear with a high in the low 50s. It will be nice in the sun, but the wind will be blowing around so you will find yourself shivering in the shade, especially on Milwaukee Ave.

Wednesday

***enhanced forecast*** With the help of Weather Pal Jon. "its gonna rain like god's dog is shaking itself..I dunno, i dunno... huh?" Okay, enough of that. Warm again tomorrow (upper 60s), but storms starting around 2 or 3 in the afternoon, but they won't be as good as last week, then the temperature will drop steadily into the 40s at night. Expect rain and highs in the 50s for the next few days.

Tuesday

Yes, it will be a great day. Please enjoy it while I am working. The storms won't come until Wednesday afternoon and it looks like they won't be as dramatic as last week's, but it is a bit early to tell.

Monday

Sunny with a high near 60 today. The weather this week will be very similiar to last week, with tomorrow and Wednesday being warm, storms again on Wednesday night, and then colder and rainy through Friday. Typically in the spring these weekly weather patterns will emerge, so we can expect similar weather through the month of April with storms and temperature fluctuations in the middle of the week.
(Hey, just so you know, don't get too excited yet because although winter seems to have been defeated he could still throw one more good snow at us, and the poor little daffodils will bend over and bury their heads. We aren't really in the clear until May.)

Thursday Night

Colder and cloudier tomorrow with a high in the mid-40s. There might be some drizzly rain but probably not. Then 50s over the weekend and 60s again on Monday and Tuesday.

Wednesday

Storms! Possibly severe! Expect them to come sometime around 2pm and end sometime around 8pm. If you haven't left the house yet, bring an umbrella and some warmer clothes to wear later. The high will reach 70 today and the air will feel soft and caressing, but after the storms the temperatures will drop into the 40s. Check this radar throughout the day if you want to know what the storms are doing. The arrows indicate the direction of individual storm cells, the numbers thier height (anything over 450 is serious) and the boxes are counties under watches or warnings.

Highs in the upper 40s and low 50s for the rest of the week, then rising through the weekend.

Tuesday

What? What are you doing inside on your computer reading some blog? You can't enjoy nice weather without some kind of media verification? Yes, it's nice out there. There won't be any storms until tomorrow night. Relax and go outside. Surely those nice people down the block will let you join their barbeque, or maybe you can sit by that old man on the park bench and look at the ladies' legs?

Tornado Learning Corner (with activities)

Now that we have escaped the risk of freezing to death I think it is time to turn our attention to other weather-related ways that we can die, the best of course being the tornado. You won't have the moments of the sublime that a lengthy demise in a snowbank at 40 below can afford, but through death by tornado can you be killed by small flying pieces of your own home, or better yet, you can be swept off the face of the earth, never to be found, or possibly be rained down in some field miles away. In any case your death will be strange, gruesome, or mysterious. Unfortunately here in Chicago we are under almost no risk of such an exciting death. I have just researched tornado occurences in Cook county and frankly there aren't many, and they are boring. The last recorded tornado in Cook county occured in 1991, and the last death by tornado was in 1976.

But don't despair! You can make a tornado in your own apartment with a hotplate and some cardboard!
If that was too much for you here is a stupid thing you can click on to make a tornado right now.
And if you are interested in the effects of tornadoes on chicken feathers go here.
If you want to know why there are so few tornadoes in metropolitan areas...I don't know. I was originally going to find out but I was distracted by the cardboard and the chickens, and now it is too late and I should be in bed. Sorry, I will find out next time.

Monday

Saturday Night

Sunny and pleasant tomorrow with a high of 50. Monday will be at least 5 degrees warmer, and then this much-hyped 70 degree weather will actually come on Tuesday and last through Wednesday (but accompanied by storms). But, I am sorry to relate, we will probably get some snow after that, so wait a few weeks to burn your hats and gloves.

Friday Night

Warmer tomorrow with a high in the 40s, although it will remain cloudy through the day and we will have very light drizzle. But then... slowly warming through the weekend and the early part of next week, reaching the 60s on Wednesday! As if this wasn't good enough, we might get some real storms somewhere near Wednesday. Spring!

Is Tom Skilling on drugs?

Anonymous said...

Tom Skilling says it'll be like 68 on wednesday next week- is he smoking crack at the WGN weathercenter or what? Also: What is your professional opinion of Tom Skilling now that these allegations of drug abuse are out in the open?


After much research and data analysis I have come to the conclusion, that no, Tom Skilling is not smoking crack and yes, there is a very good chance that the temperatures will reach the upper 60s on Wednesday next week. That said, even if Skilling was smoking crack my high professional opinion of him would remain unchanged. I find that the most lively and accurate forecasts can be made while 'under the influence'.

In other Tom Skilling news, I have just discovered that he has his own weather blog, which puts mine to shame, and that he made my two favorite made-for-tv weather movies of all time: "It Sounded Like a Freight Train" and "Chasing the Wind". If you get your jollies from watching people herding their children to the basement screaming "Oh My God It's Coming Right Towards Us!" while a tornado looms beyond their patio doors, then these films are for you.

Friday Morning

This snow will turn to rain sometime after noon, and then probably turn back to snow tonight. High today in the upper 30s. Cloudy.

Thursday Morning

Cloudy and somewhat warmer today. Light rain beginning in the evening and possibly turning to snow in the early morning tomorrow while the temperatures drop to the 30s again. Sorry. The weekend looks like it will be mind-numbingly dull and grey at this point.

Tuesday Night

This rain right now is turning into snow, and it will last (but only in the lightest way) until tomorrow morning. The ground is so wet and warm that the snow should melt right into it. High tomorrow in the upper 30s, possibly clearing later. My long term "when will it get warm" forecast of earlier was probably too optimistic, but I will hold to it for the time being and hope that the temperature will reach 60, if only for a minute or two, near the end of the week.

Monday Night

Tomorrow will be windier than today and feel colder although the temperatures will be nearly the same. We will probably get snow flurries in the late evening.

Sunday Night

Tomorrow, partly cloudy with a high in the upper 30s. The rest of the week looks colder than I had expected earlier with highs in the 40s. But there is still hope because it looks like some systems will move through, and if their path lies to the north of us we will get a warm front or two.

Thursday Morning

The National Weather Service says that this snow should end around noon, but it looks to me like it will probably last through the afternoon, and the high will be only in the mid-30s. Because the ground is so warm we won't have much accumulation.

Tuesday Morning

Not much going on today. Partly cloudy. 40 degrees. Thrills! Drunken forecast. Sorry. Bye.

Monday Morning

Warmer and more pleasant, cloudy but with an occasional appearance by the sun.

Sunday Morning

Bright and cold, with a high near 35. Keep on the sunny side of the street.

When will it get warm?

I predict one warm day (above 50 degrees) between Wednesday and Saturday next week, possibly two in a row. I predict three or more warm days and one day above 60 degrees for the week after next. All of these warm days will be interspersed with cold days, of course, because it is March.

Friday Night

Boring and cold with a high of 30 tomorrow. Mostly cloudy with an occasional appearance by the sun, and of course the ubiquitous snow flurry.

Friday Morning Update

This sun will last until 11:30, then cloudy and light snow for the rest of the day.

Thursday Night

Tomorrow will be similar to today, but with slightly less snow and greater wind speeds. The temperature will drop to the teens tomorrow night and rise all the way up into the twenties on Saturday. These lovely conditions will prevail through Tuesday and possibly beyond. Hurrah for March! Despair prevails! Hide under your blankets and cry.

Wednesday Night

How wrong I was on Tuesday! The fancy new computer model, unhindered by optimism and longings for spring, was right...miserable conditions for at least the next four days. My apologies. The clouds will move in tonight, and we will have periods of snow and possibly some sleety rain during the day on Thursday (similar to last Monday). Then cloudy, highs in the low thirties, and light snow on and off through the weekend and possibly beyond.

Learning Corner

Anonymous said...
'So when is it, like, gonna, like, get warm? And not just for a day, but for weeks on end!
huh? smarty-pants? got the answer, groundhog?
waiting for the correct response,

Cold and Sick of It'

So, like, what's your definition of warm huh? Shackleton's men in Antarctica were taking their shirts off and swooning from the heat when it was, like, 30 degrees. So maybe it has, like, been warm, for, like, days and weeks on end and you're just, like, a wimp or something.

Anonymous said...
'I was trying to explain to someone that it's always colder in the winter when it's clear out, and on cloudy days, it's warmer. Is that even true, or was I starting one of those bullshit conversations?'

It's mainly true at night. The earth radiates heat at night (especially after a sunny day), and if a cloud cover moves in it acts as a blanket and keeps a good deal of the heat in. On a clear night the heat just escapes to outer space, and this is most noticeable during the winter.

However, it's partly true during the day also, but for different reasons. Warm days during the winter are always the result of a warm front that is bringing warm wet air from the south into the region. This means that clouds and precipitation will come with it. The warm front is usually followed by a cold front that pushes down behind it from the north, and brings more clouds and precipitation, but of a more uncomfortable variety. And then this is usually followed by high pressure and clear cold dry air, which remains until the next system moves through. So the warm days will be cloudy, and the sunny days will be especially cold and piercing, and everything in between will just be crappy.
Here is an illustration:

Some other anonymous writes:
'And what's that thing you see out on Lake Michigan? A water treatment plant? Weather station? An evil science lab?'

What thing? Where on Lake Michigan? It's kind of a big place with lots of things on it. Please clarify and I will do my best to help.

Tuesday Morning

The sun is deceptive! Cold and clear with a high of 30 today. Tomorrow will be the same but about 5 degrees warmer. On Thursday the next system will move through, bringing clouds, rain and slightly warmer weather (like 40s). The National Weather Service predicts a bleak and cold weekend with highs in the 20s, and a bunch of the forecasts you read will tell you something similar. They have this one computer model that they think is the greatest thing, but all of the other models disagree with it and so do I. So, expect maybe one cold day, but then highs in the 40s or 50s this weekend.

Monday Morning

The temperature will begin falling in the afternoon and will drop into the teens tonight, accompanied by a small amount of rain. Tomorrow the high will be in the low 30s, and the sky will be clear.

Saturday Night

Tomorrow will be lovely with a high in the mid-50s, although it will be a bit windy so you will be cold in the shade. Unfortunately we will have some rain on Monday and then the temperatures will drop back into the 30s, so enjoy this while it lasts.

Friday Night

Boring and grey with a high near 40 tomorrow. There may be a few snowflakes floating around in the morning, but they are nothing to upset yourself about. The clouds will clear a little in the afternoon. On Sunday the high will be at least in the mid-40s but could possibly rise as high as 50 if this warm front gets its act together, so maybe you can air out your long underwear for a day.

Friday (4th) Morning

Warmer than expected today with a high around 40. Expect some precipitation late tonight (10ish) but nothing major, rain or snow depending on the temperature. Then highs in the 40s for the next few days with occasional rain, depending on what this system is up to which the NWS can't seem to figure out.

Saturday Evening

Snow beginning to fall around 7 or 8 tonight and lasting through the morning, probably resulting in around 4 inches of snow. However, don't panic because once the temperatures start rising in the morning the snow will turn to rain, so it will be all slushy and rainy for a while but warmer with a high in the upper 30s. Expect the rain to last on and off through the evening.

Tuesday Evening

The rain will turn to snow around 9 or 10 tonight, and then exit the area early this morning. Tomorrow the skies will clear and the high will be in the low thirties. Expect about the same weather till Saturday. And...my dsl will be hooked up on Thursday, so I can promise better forecasts after that!

Monday Evening

Another cold front coming through tomorrow will bring a little spotty rain starting early in the morning that could change to snow flurries in the afternoon, but none of it will add up to significant precipitation. The high of 40 will be reached early in the day, and the temperatures will slowly drop through the afternoon. High in the low thirties on Wednesday. Cloudy and depressing, perfect for wallowing in embarassment after Valentines Day.

Saturday Afternoon

Rain starting tomorrow around noonish. Should be a light but steady cold rain that will last through Monday. Sunday night will be warm as the warm front passes over us but then a cold front immediately follows and we can expect some light snow and then cold sunny weather until the next system moves through.

Wednesday Evening

Light bits of snow floating around this evening, nothing to change your plans around. Tomorrow will be very similar to today: cloudy with a high in the low thirties. Friday and Saturday will be more fun with highs in the forties.

Chicago Weather Update

I still don't have dsl yet because I realized that I owe SBC some money, but I am working on it and everything will be up and running very shortly and I will have the leisure to compose nightly forecasts. I am considering updating the format of this blog and have had some requests for picture forecasts from people who have no time to read a paragraph, so, if anyone has any suggestions please let me know and I will do my best to serve your weather needs. Thanks!

Monday (6th) Evening

Tonight this drizzle will slowly die throughout the evening as temperatures drop slightly. Tomorrow the high will be around thirty and we will get some two inches of snow after five. The temperatures will be in the low thirties through the rest of the week.

Saturday (29th) afternoon

Boring winter weather for the next few days. Highs in the mid-thirties, lows in the mid-twenties, slowly getting warmer throughout the week. Partly cloudy the whole time. I will make another forecast in a couple of days if anything happens. Hopefully my dsl connection will be set up at my new place in a week, and I will resume forecasting daily.

Saturday Morning

It will continue to snow throughout the rest of the daylight hours. Expect another four inches, most of this is lake-effect snow. The wind will pick up with gusts of up to forty miles per hour blowing all of the snow around. Be very careful if you drive. Better not to leave the house.

***Warning***

Yes, we will get about ten inches of snow over the next 24 hours. Snow will start tonight around six and continue through tomorrow night. High winds tomorrow will create blizzard conditions with blowing and drifting snow. The heaviest snowfall is expected tomorrow afternoon as the winds shift to the northeast and create lake-effect snow.

Tuesday Night

Light snow beginning tonight around 6:30, we will get somewhere between one and three inches, but this storm is moving so quickly that it won't even have time to dump much else on us. Tomorrow won't be as warm as I thought, sorry, but the high will be somewhere in the thirties, so put on your shorts and enjoy it.

Forecast Forecast

Forecasts will be intermittent and spotty over the next week or so as I move to my new apartment and set up my computer and dsl line. I expect a 50 percent chance of forecasts on any given weeknight and a 30 percent chance on weekends, until the end of next week.

Monday Night

Tomorrow will be slightly warmer. Slightly. Like high in the low twenties. Expect some clouds to move in later, and then there might be some snow tomorrow night, but it is a little early to tell. We will definitely get a little snow sometime between Tuesday and Wednesday night, but I don't think it will be much. Wednesday will be much warmer as the lower edge of this warm front moves through, with highs in the forties, but then the temperatures will drop again as the corresponding cold front moves through, most likely with more snow. At this point it doesn't look like this system will be as exciting as the ones that passed through in the last few weeks, so don't expect much snow or many thrills.

Friday Night

Please excuse the previous post. This week will be cold, sunny and sober. A large area of high pressure will be firmly stationed over our area for the next few days, which means that nothing will happen. Tomorrow will be just like today except colder, and the next day will be the same as tomorrow except colder.

Thursday Night

Okay sorry. I haven't had access to a computer for a few days, but I found an apartment. And now you are lucky enough to get a drunk forecast/. Excuse me drunken forecast. Tomorrow will be very very cold and sunny and make you want to scream. The last few days were fine examples of a very major system that had the power to pull lots of warm air from the south and lots of cold air from the north oh my god I am making no sense and will stop now very sorry I swear I will get my act together soon please be patient. Love Adrienne

Sunday Evening

I almost don't have the heart to give this forecast. Sorry that I ever promised sun earlier this week (I was blindly trusting the National Weather Service, which I should know by now not to do). We probably won't have any until Friday, and I can't even be sure of that. Tonight and tomorrow will be cloudy and sort of warmish, then we will have a horrible mess of freezing rain, snow etc. in the middle of the week. We might not get significant amounts of precipitation, but it will be enough to make things more inconvenient and ugly and sloshy and depressing. You will find yourself sleeping constantly and talking to your yourself or your cat.

Friday Evening

We may get a few little flurries of snow tonight from the very top of this system that is just south of us right now, but it is heading out of the area very quickly. Tomorrow's high will be in the low thirties and we will see some sun; but on Sunday the temperatures will reach close to forty, the sun will be shining, and hopefully some of this snow will melt. The next major system will move into the area sometime on Monday and will bring with it some kind of precipitation, most likely rain, but possibly freezing rain or more snow. If you build a snowman now it will have a short life and probably a lengthy and gruesome death.

Thursday Afternoon

Sorry I couldn't do an in-depth analysis of the storm. But anyway...These little flurries we are having right now will end by this evening,and then we have a few days of sunny boring weather. The high tomorrow will be in the upper twenties, and the temperatures will rise slowly through the weekend.

***Winter Weather Alert***

A winter storm will start slowly tonight around 7:30 or 8 with some freezing rain, which will turn to snow after 10. The snow may be spotty tonight, but will become more intense and continue through tomorrow night. We could end up with almost a foot after the Wednesday is over, and if the freezing rain is heavy enough it will have a layer of ice underneath. Get your groceries tonight if possible. In-depth analysis of this storm later.

Monday Night

Possible bits of freezing rain early in the morning, but then just cloudy with a high in the low twenties. It will begin snowing early in the morning on Wednesday, and continue through the day.

Monday Morning

Cold rain all day, slowing down at night and becoming freezing rain.

Winter Forecast

"I'm so glad Adrienne is back in action. Now I don't have to live with her to get up to date forecasts! But Adrienne, please tell us there is some hope in the near future. Is the rest of the winter going to be this treacherous?
Lauren"

Okay, I can't claim much success with long term forecasts, but neither can anyone else, so I will try here to give you some idea of what to expect this winter. I think we are safe for another week or two from a nasty spell like the one we had before Christmas, but we can expect at least a few more of them before winter is over simply because that is typical in these parts. Huge temperature oscillations like those we saw in the last few weeks become less likely as winter progresses and the major weather systems move south of us; so although we will probably experience the same bitter cold it will approach slowly and won't be as shocking, but will stay longer and be more depressing. Also as a result of these systems moving south we tend to get less precipitation in the coming months. I'm inclined to think that any exciting snow storms we get will come in the next two weeks; after that it will be boring and cold, averaging in the twenties, with an occasional dip into the single digits and an occasional day above 35, and a few snow showers with accumulations of about an inch and a half.


According to the Climate Prediction Center we have a 33 percent chance of below average temperatures and a 50 percent chance of above average precipitation 8 to 14 days from now. I don't know what this is supposed to look like and they don't really clarify, but maybe you can make something up.

Learning Corner

Anonymous (Jon) writes:

speaking of 40's, I'm drinking one right now, and the high life girl on the label wants to know
a) how the earthquakes in the south asian seas will affect our weather
b) why it's so blurdy warm at the end of december
c) why meteorologists don't denote when the low will be different from the "overnight" low, because, come on, seriously, doesn't it sometimes happen where it gets *WARMER* at night than it was during the day? I know we've been in it over the appoximate times of "lows" and "highs", but seriously. It was warmer out when I left the bookstore tonight than when I went in.
Tell me the why of that, blog!
The high-life lady thanks you.

The answers, in order, are:

a) they won't
b) so we can party!
c) most meteorologists are forecasting for upstanding members of society who are sleeping at night instead of drinking forties and reading blogs, and so don't care at what time during their slumbers the temperatures hit the actual low. Honestly, this is close to the truth. But also, on a night when a warm front passes (like the one when you wrote this) if you look at a detailed forecast they will usually mention that the low will occur around midnight (because it is technically the low for the next day) and that temperatures will rise through the morning. So although the night might be warmer than the previous day it will still be cooler than the next, and so they still give you a low. I hope that makes sense.

Sunday Night

There is a little patch of freezing rain heading our direction that might reach us in the early morning hours, but if temperatures are warm enough it might be just plain old rain, and no matter what there won't be much of it.
Beyond that everything is unpredictable. In the next few days we could get more freezing rain, then regular rain, then freezing rain again, then snow; or rain then snow, or just snow, or just rain, or nothing at all. But because I am your forecaster I will not avoid sticking my neck out and will make up a forecast for you, which is mainly an opinion anyway, and it is this: cold stinging rain in little patches tomorrow during the day, then nothing for a while, then very light snow on Tuesday night and Wednesday. I can tell you with some certainty that the temperature will reach the mid-thirties tomorrow and probably won't be oscillating too much over the next few days. And if my forecast is correct there will be small patches of ice around tomorrow night.

Friday

Sorry about the last few days, I have been involved in non-stop holiday activity. And I know, the weather has actually been interesting. But anyway, tonight: the temperature should be around 40 at midnight, so if you are drunk enough it won't feel so bad to be outside screaming without your coat on. If, however, you are meandering home at four in the morning you will want a coat as it will be much colder. No rain and a clear sky, so by all means wear suede and sequins and whatever else, and have a very happy new year!

Tuesday Night

High in the low forties tomorrow. Becoming cloudier than it already is, but that is boring. You can go without a hat if you feel like it.

Monday Night

Above freezing tomorrow! High in the upper thirties, cloudy but the sun might peek out occasionally.

Tsunami

Here is an animated movie created by NOAA of the tsunami that killed 20,000 people yesterday in Asia.

Monday Morning

Today, mostly cloudy with a high near 30, not too windy, pleasant enough. The temperatures will begin climbing tomorrow and may reach 50 by friday, so you might be able to wear your slutty clothes to parties.

Thursday Night

It's just going to be cold for the next few days. Nothing else will happen, I swear. If you need to know how cold it is while I am gone just click here. Otherwise, stay inside and eat, and I'll be back on Monday.

Wednesday Night

My forecast from Wednesday morning still holds, except the temperatures won't stop dropping until Thursday afternoon. And yes, obviously, it snowed as the models predicted. No significant weather events for the next few days, just bitter cold.

Wednesday morning

Fell asleep while reading last night, please forgive this late and very bleak forecast. Cold today, obviously. High of 13, low of 13. Possibility of snow tonight, but more on that later. The thing to know now is that tomorrow will be very very cold. The temperatures will drop into the single digits, the wind will pick up speed, and tomorrow night will bring death weather with wind chill values as low as -20. I suggest that you avoid drunken outdoor activities. The temperatures will begin to rise very slowly on Christmas Eve, but I don't think we will see 30 until at least Monday.
As for this snow it depends entirely on whether this system that just passed over us is moving slow enough, and has enough strength, for its winds to wrap around and cross the lake again from the northeast. Two forecast models say that it will, and one says that it won't. I am inclined to believe that it won't, but if it does we can expect about two inches of snow around midnight tonight.
Click here to see the dramatic dip in the jet stream that will pull the arctic air down into the US tomorrow.

Tuesday Morning (revision)

My original forecast was correct, this system will be as strong as was predicted on Sunday and will pull a large mass of arctic air from Canada deep down into the central US. The temperatures will drop into the teens tonight and stay there for the next three days.

Monday Night

Looks like the system that will move in tomorrow has weakened somewhat, so things won't be as dire as I had predicted yesterday. The high will be around 35, but the temperature will drop to the low twenties by evening and it might snow a little bit. The low tomorrow night will be in the upper teens, and Wednesday's high will be in the mid-twenties. Also, a light band of snow is approaching us as I write this, and will bring some flurries early in the morning.

Sunday Night

Monday will be windy but warmer, with a high in the low thirties. Becoming cloudy in the afternoon. Snow is unlikely despite what they say. It looks as though the next frontal system will be moving through on Tuesday, which means that the temperature will rise on Tuesday morning and then fall rapidly through the evening and remain bitterly cold on Wednesday. Basically a repitition of what we experienced Saturday. Sorry.

Chicago Weather Returns!

Sorry to have left you all 'out in the cold' for so long. Apparently some of you haven't even been able to dress properly, but I don't think I need to apologize for that. Nightly forecasts will now resume but with a brief interruption for Chrismas, when you will have to fend for yourself. Please, click on the little envelopes to leave me your weather related questions or cheeky comments, and I promise that they will be answered and appreciated. Thank you Joe for your dsl connection, and the rest of you for the pestering, and I hope that I can supply you with the finest forecasts in the Chicagoland area throughout the holiday season. Now for the weather...

Saturday Night

Insanely fucking cold Sunday. An arctic air mass has just thrust its icy tongue over the midwest. (See it here, behind the spikey blue line.) The high will be around 18 degrees, and 25 mph winds will drive the wind chill down to around -5 degrees. Your face will be burned by a little more snow in the morning, but that should clear up by the afternoon and leave you with just the wind to bitch about. And bitch you will, as this is expletive weather, and god knows you didn't buy that long underwear yet did you. Fucking bus....never comes...

Extended Forecast 12/18

Temperatures will slowly rise after Sunday to reach highs in the mid-30s on Tuesday, and we can expect some snow on Monday or Tuesday but it is difficult to say when, because it will depend on which way the winds are blowing across the lake. Another arctic air mass is expected to move into the area by Wednesday, bringing the same crap it brought Sunday. The NWS models show it moving in Tuesday afternoon, but these winter storms are kind of shifty so that could change. No matter what this week won't be fun, but if you must go Christmas shopping or something go on Monday evening or Tuesday morning.


By the way, everything beneath this post is from October, so ignore it.

Friday Night

Thunderstorms after midnight. A very small chance that a local storm will hit us before then, but not likely. Weirdly warm, obviously. Tomorrow will be a more normal fall day, sunny and a little windy, with a high around 63.

Friday Night

Rain beginning around 11 pm tonight and lasting until tomorrow afternoon. A nice warm front is moving over us and will be with us until at least tomorrow evening. High around 70 tomorrow, and then cooling off through the rest of the week. Tomorrow might feel strange, people will be giddy and headaches will be more common.

Tuesday Night

As far as I can tell, tomorrow will be exactly the same as today. Read some Poe (Hawthorn and Irving are acceptable also) and eat some soup.

Monday Night

Spotty rain tomorrow, nothing to get in the way of anything. Cloudy of course with a high around 60. Rain and possibly possibly possibly thunderstorms at the end of the week. And yes, the temperatures may reach 70 by Friday.

Sunday Night

Cloudy in the morning tomorrow, and then rain beginning sometime in the afternoon and continuing until at least Tuesday evening but maybe longer. The temperatures will slowly rise and it may even begin to feel like spring. Maybe even a thunderstorm! but that is something the weather gods rarely deign to give us these days, so we will try not to expect very much.

Saturday Afternoon

Sorry I didn't post last night, I went to a dinner party and then caught a cold. So I was wrong about today, it obviously isn't sunny and miserable. But tomorrow will be, I promise. Tonight's low will be around 34, so bring your plants inside. Don't get too excited about the cold because the temperatures will start rising again on Monday.

Thursday Night

More of this nice, depressing weather tomorrow. Little bits of rain again and a high in the mid-fifties. Saturday will be colder and sunnier, which sucks. Sorry Raz, you won't be able to listen to Morrisey this weekend. You will probably find yourself in a crowded parking lot with too much to carry and the intimation of a cold in the back of your throat. You will watch the plastic bags fly around in the disturbingly clear sky and wish you could shoot someone.

Wednesday Night

High tomorrow of 55, cloudy, bits of rain blowing around. Tomorrow night will get cold with a low of 40. I know that they keep mentioning snow flurries for Friday or Saturday, but I'm skeptical.

Tuesday Night

Spotty rain starting late tonight, and general cloudiness and intermittent rain for the rest of the week. Tomorrow's high will be in the upper 50s. Temperatures will keep dropping and the wind will pick up through the next few days.

Tuesday Morning

Looks like it is supposed to start raining late tonight instead of on Thursday like I told you. More info tonight.

Learning Corner

Jon here-
Quick question; when a HIGH and LOW are given, exactly what point (time?) during the day will the weather reach its hottest and coolest?


The high usually will be reached around two or three in the afternoon, and the low right at sunrise.

New Format

Criticism Jonny says:
Blog?? More like BLARRRG!
Updates? More like UP-LATES, A-Squad!
HA!


All right all right okay... Yes, yes. I've been sleeping in, neglecting my forecasting duties. And what point is there in a forecast after 10 am? By that point you can walk out the damned door and figure it out for yourself. So I'm sorry I left you all 'in the cold' for so long and I've decided to do something about it. In order to serve you better, and also to prove my forecasting prowess, I now introduce my very exciting 'New Format'! Yes! Because there is a 90 percent chance that your forecaster's brain will be less cloudy in the evening than in the morning, the New Format will include evening posts. I must say that the only danger here folks is that you may occasionally get a drunken forecast, and I trust that you will be able to spot these immediately and take them for what they are worth. Also, the New Format will include extended forecasts so everyone can plan their picnics and avoid arguments, like the one referenced in the following question, that occured from of a lack of the necessary meteorological information:


So, I need to make sure that my husband has enough blankets this week. Can you make sure to warn us when the nights will be colder than say 45 degrees?

Any other advice on how to avoid marital strife due to cold weather would be appreciated.

love,
Cat

Cat, the answer to your question is in tonight's forecast. As to advice on marital strife in cold weather, the only thing I can think of is the following: to avoid shock and dismay the spouse with cold feet should get into bed at least a half an hour before the other, warmer-blooded spouse.

Thanks for you patience and dedication everyone!

Love,
Adrienne

Monday Night

Tuesday will be similar to Monday, with a high in the mid-60s and a light breeze, and a low in the upper 40s. You will want to walk on the sunny side of the street. Starting on Wednesday the temperature will begin to slowly drop and the sky will get cloudier, and then on Thursday we may have a little bit of rain. After that the temperature will continue to drop, and by the weekend it will be downright cold, meaning highs around 50 and lows in the 30s. Get out your scarves and buy those socks you keep forgetting about. People will continue to get sick as the temperatures drop and then rise again, so wash your hands more often.

Tuesday Morning

Today will be warmer than yesterday, and tomorrow will be warmer than today. The nights won't be so cold for at least another week, so don't worry about them so much. Sunny today with a high of 60.

Sunday Morning

Today will be warmer for some reason. High in the upper 60s, but it will feel warmer in the sun. Tonight will be cold however, with a low in the 40s. Cold again tomorrow.

Saturday Morning

Obviously, its cold. The temperature will only reach 60 today. Tomorrow will be a little warmer, and then it will cool down again on Monday. No clouds or rain in the coming days, and the nights will be very cold.