Chicago thunderstorms
Dear Tom,
Having observed the weather in Chicago for many years, I have concluded that
thunderstorms heading for the city dissipate or weaken before getting here,
then strengthen or reform east of the city; or they always pass north or
south of the city. Why is this?
Doug Mann
Dear Doug,
It might sometimes seem that thunderstorms occur less frequently and with
less vigor in Chicago than at surrounding locations, but area weather
records do not support that contention.
Historical data from National Weather Service and from the
observations of cooperative weather observers show that, over time,
thunderstorm frequency and intensity are quite uniform across northern
Illinois, northwest Indiana and southern Wisconsin.
Locations that thunderstorms repeatedly spare for weeks, even months, always
catch up when the weather patterns change--and eventually they do change.