Warmer, stormier weather expected midweek
July, historically the city's warmest month, has arrived and as if on cue, temperatures
are warming. After surging into the mid-80s Tuesday, temperature readings
Wednesday, propelled by southwest winds and the warmth-inducing subsidence of air
which takes place beneath the "nose" of a powerful jet stream, appear poised to
generate Chicago's second 90-degree temperature of the year. More ominously, the
ingredients for severe thunderstorms come together over the area making Wednesday
afternoon and evening a period which will have to be monitored.
The books closed on one of Chicago's warmer and wetter Junes overnight. The month's
70.8-degree average temperature was 2.4-degrees above the 137-year average here --
warm enough to rank among the area's warmest 28 percent of Junes. June's rain tally
of 4.18 inches ranked 48th of the 137 Junes for which there are records here.
UPPER WINDS BRING SMOKE FROM CANADA WILDFIRES TO MIDWEST
Smoke from wildfires burning in Manitoba and Saskatchewan is riding northwest upper
steering winds over sections of the Midwest. It may lend a yellow or orange cast to the
sky over parts of the region Wednesday.
--Tom Skilling, Chief Meteorologist, WGN-TV/Chicago Tribune
