chicago weather

Winter Weather Predictions For 2012

Winter weather predictions for 2012 suggest a snowy and cold winter pattern for the Upper Midwest and Great Lakes region. Cities such as Chicago and Milwaukee could experience bitterly cold temperatures at times with above average snowfall. the West Coast could see slightly below average temperatures with above average precipitation. Western states such as Nevada, Utah and Arizona and the middle sections of the country are forecast to experience a near normal winter weather pattern. In the southern half of the US states such as Texas which are experiencing record breaking droughts are expected for the most part to have above normal temperatures and below normal precipitation. the East Coast should see a more normal winter weather scenario. Floridians should see a relatively dry winter with mild temperatures.

There are many different factors and conditions affecting the weather that must be interpreted before a long range forecast can be issued. as these factors and conditions change adjustments must be made in the forecast to accurately reflect this. One of the biggest influences over this years winter weather appears to be La Nina. A stronger La Nina usually suggests less precipitation and warmer temperature for the southern U.S. and colder temperatures and more precipitation in the form of snow across the northern parts of the U.S. including the Great Lakes region and the Pacific Northwest. This is in line with current winter weather predictions for 2012.

The greatest factor that influences the weather is of course where you live. Other factors which you have no control over but which influence the weather where you live include the little know but very important Arctic Oscillation, major volcanic eruptions and solar activity just to name a few. the Arctic Oscillation which measures air pressure variances has turned negative which means a greater chance for cold air to enter the United States from Canada. While important in developing a weather forecast strong Arctic Oscillations can be difficult to forecast to far in advance. While there is still much debate in the scientific community some believe that solar flares and sunspots influence our weather here on earth. Ash and dust introduced into the atmosphere by volcanic eruptions can lower the earths surface temperatures by reducing the amount of sunlight that reaches the earth. There are many other variables in producing the weather you experience.

While you cannot control the weather you can be prepared for it. Listen to your local forecast when threatening weather is possible especially if you are planning on travelling. Have a emergency kit in your car at all times and use common sense before heading out into inclement weather.

Latest Chicago Weather Forecast

CHICAGO (CBS) — Snow and bitter cold will be coming later in the week, but on Monday, look for another day with unseasonable temperatures in the 40s.

CBS 2 Meteorologist Megan Glaros says every part of the Chicago area should hit the mid- to upper 40s on Monday, with partly sunny skies. The forecast high is 47 degrees, with an overnight low of 32.

Temperatures on Tuesday will climb to a high of 52, more than 20 degrees above average. The high on Wednesday remains a comfortable 48.

But by Thursday morning, a cold front will slide through, and it will really start to feel like January. Snow is likely to come on Thursday, with a high of only 28, and a low of 14.

And if you put your hat and gloves back in the mothball chest, you’ll be sorry on Friday. The high is only 22 degrees, with a low of 15.

But it’s all relative. You might recall on Jan. 15, 2009 – three years ago this coming Sunday – the high for the day was minus 2 degrees, and the overnight low crashed to minus 15. The forecast high for the same day three years later is a comparatively tropical 30.

CHECK OUT THE LATEST RADAR

What Are Weather Patterns?

Before we can look into common weather patterns, it is important to first define some terms. in many cases, people may confuse climate with weather. in simple terms, climate is the general average atmospheric conditions in a certain region for a long period of time which is most commonly placed at about more or less 3 decades. hence, the climate of a place remains relatively unchanged for years.

A place’s climate however does not imply that one region will be warm, cold, stormy or calm everyday for thirty years. There can be brief changes in atmospheric conditions in every region. this is what is known as the weather. When these brief changes are over, the atmosphere returns to more or less its average conditions.

Common weather patterns are directly related to climate. some experts define climate as the general average weather pattern for a particular location. in other words a long term weather pattern can sometimes be understood as climate. Weather patterns can also be understood as the manner in which various types of weather are spread or distributed across the planet.

Weather patterns are important in forecasting. Sometimes, one is able to predict what the next day’s weather will be based on the concept of persistence. Today’s weather may repeat or persist until the following day. this is especially true in regions where the common weather patterns are usually consistent or unchanging atmospheric conditions. this is easily seen in warm regions where summers are consistently warm for several months.

Weather patterns are also important tools for yearly forecasts. One can reasonably assume that the weather in one particular month or season will be relatively the same in the same month or season in the following year. you will notice this by taking note of particular days and comparing them to the same days in the following year. this is basic layman’s forecasting for you and is especially useful if you want to plan certain events or occasions like trips or weddings.

Knowledge of common weather patterns is therefore supposed to be very useful. as some of us may have recently noticed though, weather patterns are not always what they used to be. All of a sudden, we experience extreme warmth or destructive hurricanes with little warning. two types of unpredictable extreme weather conditions are known as El Nino and La Nina.

In El Nino, Pacific Ocean waters get warmer and can lead to high temperatures and rain. in La Nina, Pacific Ocean waters get colder. Depending on where you live, La Nina can lead to warmer or colder weather and dry conditions.

A number of climate and weather experts blame the changes in atmospheric conditions to global warming. Human greenhouse gas emissions may be the reason for our current inability to accurately predict weather patterns.

Four Cars, Semi Crash During Snowfall

NBC Chicago crews traveling along the Dan Ryan and Eisenhower expressways reported better-than-expected conditions, though still slow-going, for the season’s first big snow.

Commissioner Tom Byrne, watching weather reports, said he anticipated a "great" rush hour for Friday morning.

The news wasn’t so positive at the city’s airports, which proactively canceled flights as the snow approached.

At Midway, Southwest Airlines canceled all flights in and out of the facility between 1 p.m. and 6 p.m., affecting about 100 flights. other airlines at Midway canceled more than 40 more flights for the day.

At O’Hare, airlines canceled more than 420 inbound and outbound flights and reported delays because of de-icing procedures. at its peak, O’Hare was reporting delays as long as 1 hour and 20 minutes.

As always, travelers were advised to check their airlines’ Web sites to confirm the status of their flights.

Flurries moved into Chicago around 9:30 a.m. after a winter storm advisory went into effect. just before 11 a.m., the advisory was upgraded to a winter storm warning.

To prepare, the Illinois Department of Transportation readied 465 snow-fighting trucks Thursday morning. still, the Chicago area hasn’t dealt with this much snow in months, and IDOT warned commuters to stay alert and leave extra time to prevent crashes and slide-offs.

For traffic and snow updates, follow @Matt_Rodewald, @nbcchicago and @nbcchicagowx on Twitter.

Download our iPhone App. News breaks at inconvenient times. Take NBCChicago.com with you on your iPhone app and be in the know where ever you go. Visit the app store and download it today!

South America Corn Crops to Lose 11 Million Tons on Drought

January 12, 2012, 7:04 PM EST

by Lucia Kassai

(Updates with Mexico drought in fifth paragraph, USDA forecast in eighth paragraph.)

Jan. 12 (Bloomberg) — Corn crops in Brazil and Argentina, which produce 30 percent of the world’s exports, will lose 11 million metric tons of output after a drought caused “irreversible” damage, forecaster Agroconsult said.

Growers in Argentina will harvest 20 million metric tons of the grain in the current harvest, compared with 27 million tons estimated last month, Andre Pessoa, head of Agroconsult, said in Sao Paulo today. Brazil’s corn forecast was cut to 61 million tons from 65 million tons, he said.

Corn has jumped 12 percent in a month in Chicago trading as dryness and heat caused by the La Nina weather pattern harm crops in South America. Brazil is the third-largest producer of corn after the U.S. and China. Argentina is the second-largest exporter of the grain after the U.S.

“the situation in the countryside is very bad,” Pessoa said. “Losses in corn crops in Rio Grande do Sul and Santa Catarina are irreversible,” he said, referring to Brazil’s two southernmost states.

in Mexico, the world’s fourth-largest corn producer, growers are also expected to lose production because of a drought. the country will likely produce between 22 million and 23 million tons of the grain this year, less than the 24.5 million tons previously forecast, Agriculture Minister Francisco Mayorga said on Dec. 16.

the recurring La Nina event may have caused more damage this season than in 2009, when South American corn production slumped after the worst drought in 70 years parched Argentine crops, the Argentine Association of Regional Consortia for Agricultural Experimentation, a farming group, said on Jan. 6.

Potential yields in Argentine corn crops that were planted early will drop 20 percent, forecaster Commodity Weather Group LLC said yesterday.

the U.S. Department of Agriculture cut its forecast for corn production in Argentina today to 26 million tons from 29 million estimated in December. It kept the forecast for Brazil’s corn crop at 61 million tons.

Soybean output in South America will also be harmed by the dry spell, Pessoa said. Agroconsult cut its forecast for soybean production in Argentina to 49 million tons from 53.5 million tons, while reducing the outlook for Brazil to 73.5 million tons from 75.2 million tons estimated last month.

Corn futures for March delivery rose 0.9 percent to $6.575 a bushel at 8:45 a.m. in Chicago. Soybean futures rose 0.3 percent to $12.06 a bushel.

–Editors: Carlos Caminada, Robin Saponar

To contact the reporter on this story: Lucia Kassai in Sao Paulo at

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Dale Crofts at

Get real ! Chicago Weather Must See

 Temperatures in the Chicago area will fall out of the 30s into the 20s as winds strengthen out of the northwest later tonight and early Thursday morning, Thursday morning, Snow will continue to fall Thursday night into Friday morning over the Chicago area with an additional 2 to 3 inches snow accumulation possible, and in what year?—Debbie JacobsonDear Debbie. 9 inches through Wednesday — but because the snow season often extends into April. it’s unlikely the 1920-21 record will be challenged on this go-around, Surprisingly. totaled only 11,   The advisory kicks in at 9AM Thursday and is valid through 4AM Friday.   Three to six inches of snow is expected by 7AM Friday morning. winds gusting to 35 to 40mph will result in blowing and drifting snow,   The combination of snow and wind will make it difficult for road crews to keep streets and highways free of ice, especially in rural areas,   We are anticipating 2″ to 3″ of snow to be on the ground by 6PM Thursday. Winter Storm Watches continue for portions of northern Indiana and western Michigan where lake effect snow is expected in addition to system snow. with Wednesday’s sunshine and unseasonably mild highs in the lower 50s it seem hard to believe that we will be dealing with a lot of snow Thursday into Friday, a winter storm watch has been posted for the area starting Thursday afternoon and continuing through Thursday night for areas west of Chicago in north central Illinois and extending into Friday morning for the Chicago area east into northwest Indiana, Snowfall may exceed six inches in the heaviest areas, with the worst conditions expected late Thursday afternoon and Thursday night, CLTV and on this weather blog.

Mild weather means salt-free county roads

By Frank Abderholden fabderholden@stmedianetwork.com January 9, 2012 8:24PM

Waukegan director of public works Tom Hagerty looks at a control box of a liquid deicer on the back of a snow plow salt truck in the public works garage. | Michael Schmidt~Sun-Times Media

storyidforme: 23750947 tmspicid: 8812982 fileheaderid: 3947447

with little or no snow in the forecast, the Chicago area may soon break the record for the least-snowiest start to winter.

The only winters here that have started off with less snowfall through Jan. 10 are 1889-90 when 1.3 inches of snow fell; 1936-37 when 1.4 inches fell; and 2001-02 when 1.7 inches fell, the National Weather Service said.

with no snow expected Tuesday, Jan. 10, we’re only at 1.9 inches of snow so far this season.

Assuming we don’t officially pick up a half-inch of measurable snow or more by Jan. 16, then the 2011-12 winter will move into first place for the lowest snowfall total to date, the weather service said.

And the weather service says although the warm temperatures over the past 37 days have not been record-breaking, they’ve still been abnormally warm on several occasions.

The unseasonably warm temperatures in December helped lead to the 15th warmest December on record in Chicago. The conditions continued into the first week of January as well. near record warmth was recorded on both Jan. 5 and Jan. 6.

Last year’s daily high temperature during the same 37-day period were either at or consistently below average with the exception of a brief warm spell around Jan. 1, 2011. overall, December 2010 ended up being the 17th coldest on record, the weather service said.

Tuesday and Wednesday will see highs in the 50s, but Thursday will take a big dip, all the way to 28 degrees and 14 degrees by nightfall, the weather service said.

Article Extras

Updated: January 10, 2012 2:22AM

If you are thinking your city or municipality or township must be saving big bucks because of the lack of winter’s punch, you are right. But you are also wrong.

Patrick Muetz, Gurnee village manager, said Gurnee is about $165,000 in the good when taking into account the salt, accelerated deicer SuperMix and saved overtime.

“But we’re not even close to being whole,” he said, because of the damaging wind storms this past summer.

Last year at this point, we already had 20 inches of snow on the ground and Gurnee spent $188,000 on snow removal. this year, the village has spent $22,000. Village crews have only been out four times this year.

“Obviously, we’ll take this. It makes up for July,” Muetz said.

Tom Haggerty, head of public works for Waukegan, said he was looking this winter’s freaky weather as nature evening things out.

“People forget we had three blizzards in July,” he said referring to three wind events, one of which was just along the lakeshore.

“It’s a good thing we don’t have snow yet,” he said.

Instead, city crews are working on maintenance jobs and some catch basin work that could only be done during this type of warm-up.

“The salt is not going to go bad,” he noted.

Mark Ring, Antioch highway commissioner, said his crews have been saving on fuel, overtime and wear and tear on the trucks, which get pushed to the limit with the weight of salt and the amount of snow that needs to be pushed in a normal winter.

He said crews have been doing maintenance around the shop and on various vehicles, and they have also been out doing brush-clearing around stop signs and sight lines of intersections.

Ring said the wind storm in July that hit mainly Antioch caused a lot of overtime.

“I never saw destruction like that,’ he said. “The money we saved (this winter) was already spent last July.”

We may break record for least snowy start to winter

SUN-TIMES MEDIA WIRE January 9, 2012 12:12PM

What a difference a year makes. In this Feb. 2, 2011 file photo, hundreds of cars sit stranded on Lake Shore Drive in Chicago after a historic winter blizzard stranded hundreds of drivers for up to 12 hours overnight. (AP Photo/Kiichiro Sato, File)

storyidforme: 23923188 tmspicid: 8684846 fileheaderid: 3910017

Updated: January 10, 2012 2:11AM

Finally, a potential Chicago winter weather record to celebrate.

with little or no snow in the forecast, Chicago may soon break the record for the least-snowiest start to winter.

The only winters in Chicago that have started off with less snowfall through January 10 are 1889-90 when 1.3 inches of snow fell; 1936-37 when 1.4 inches fell; and 2001-02 when 1.7 inches fell, the National Weather Service said.

With no snow expected Monday and Tuesday, Chicago is only at 1.9 inches of snow so far this season.

Assuming Chicago doesn’t officially pick up a half inch of measurable snow or more by Jan. 16, then the 2011-12 winter will move into first place for the lowest snowfall total to date, the weather service said.

And the weather service says although the warm temperatures over the past 37 days have not been record breaking, they’ve still been abnormally warm on several occasions.

The unseasonably warm temperatures in December helped lead to the 15th warmest December on record in Chicago. the conditions continued into the first week of January as well. Near record warmth was recorded on both Jan. 5 and 6.

If you compare this year’s temperature to last year at this time, you’ll see a big difference.

Overall, last year’s daily high temperature during the same 37-day period were either at or consistently below average with the exception of a brief warm spell around Jan. 1, 2011. overall, December 2010 ended up being the 17th coldest on record in Chicago, the weather service said.

the high on Monday should reach 46 degrees and dip to 31 degrees by night. Tuesday and Wednesday will see highs in the 50s, but Thursday will take a big dip, all the way to 28 degrees and 14 degrees by nightfall, the weather service said.

Unseasonably mild days might not last

January 10, 2012 (CHICAGO) (WLS) — A beautiful day for a boat ride — in January? Chicagoans cling to what may be the last days of unseasonably warm weather.

Many in the Chicago area are taking advantage of what could be the last unseasonably mild day for a while.

Chicago-area residents are taking advantage of this weather, because you never know when it will take a turn for the worse.

No coat. No hat. No scarf. instead of a story about snowstorms, ABC 7′s Michelle Gallardo is taking a boat ride.

The bright Star is in business Tuesday. the vessel has three Shoreline Sightseeing cruises scheduled for the day. It’s the first time since 1939 that Shoreline Sightseeing has run its boat tours in January. usually, as soon as the temperature drops below 40 they shut down for the season. But not this time.

“A boat tour in Chicago is good any day, even on the rainy days because Chicago is the city of architecture, it’s just so beautiful. But particularly on a day like today. you can see the people on the boats are not even wearing heavy coats, we have a blue sky, so it’s perfect,” said Kevin Burrows, Shoreline Sightseeing.

At Millennium Park’s ice skating rink, a state of the art refrigeration system is able to keep the slab below the ice at twelve to 13 degrees as long as the air temperature stays around 60. And people are certainly taking advantage — some even skating in some rather skimpy outfits.

“Yes, I’m wearing a dress. I had to take off the coat and the hoodie and all those various things. And the backpack. I’m supposed to be in class right now,” said Tina Garvin, who was ice skating.

Tennis anyone? Shirts were optional at Recreation Drive’s Park District courts. there was a full house of players who just could not believe their luck.

“I don’t know if this is the earliest or the latest. We don’t know if we’re in fall now or spring, but it’s great,” said Jim Meyer, tennis player.

“I can’t recall. I’ve been here since ’73 and I can’t recall any January month or December like this,” said Rashid Kahn, tennis player.

Along Chicago’s lakefront bike path, runners and cyclists took advantage of the mild temperatures. So did fishermen, who had a pretty good catch.

“It’s not usual to have this nice weather, but even when it’s frozen we sometimes break the ice and we fish there, and the perch, they are really good fish,” said fisherman Valentin Curesco.

there has been seven days in a row with temperatures reaching at least 50 degrees. Forecasts indicate Wednesday will likely be the last mild day for awhile.

(Copyright ©2012 WLS-TV/DT. all Rights Reserved.)

Get more Local »

local, michelle gallardo

Homeowners Learn Valuable Lessons After Record Rainfall Hits Chicago Area

Residents living in the Midwest have certainly been through their fair share of severe weather situations so far this summer. There have been severe thunderstorms with heavy winds and rain to endure, widespread flooding as well as numerous tornadoes that have devastated entire neighborhoods.

Over the past couple of weeks Chicago experienced record flooding. in fact, the 122-year rainfall record for July was shattered last week as two passing storms dumped enough rain on the Windy City and the surrounding area to make July 2011 the wettest one in the city’s history. Homeowners in other Midwestern cities such as Detroit and Cleveland also suffered property damage and flooding due to severe weather systems which wreaked havoc on the region.

The harsh, 2011 summertime weather Midwesterners have been forced to endure is a stark reminder of how important it is to safeguard your home and property. Those living in flood-prone areas should consider improving their homeowner’s insurance coverage. Sadly, there are a great many homeowners who find out the hard way that their standard homeowner’s insurance policy does not cover flood damage and loss. and, there are still more who rush out to buy flood insurance prior to large storms moving in only to find out later that one must wait 30 days before flood insurance kicks in.

It is also a reminder of how important it is to have a pump sump installed in your basement. Millions of dollars in loss occurred in Chicago and its suburbs this summer due to flooded basements inside homes and businesses. a sump pump is a absolute necessity if you live in a home that has a basement in a flood-prone area. There is nothing worse than discovering that your basement has a few feet of flood water in it and not having a way to pump it out. and, a flooded basement can do an incredible amount of structural damage to floors and walls and it also becomes a health hazard for your family. Mold and mildew thrive in damp environments and a home mold problem is a real nightmare to endure, that you can be sure of.

Hopefully the rest of the summer will be a calm one, weather-wise, although residents down south will be closely following the start of the hurricane season. For many, the days of extreme heat in the Midwest are enough to bear, without having to deal with downed trees, flooded basements and roof damage from hail and high winds. Homeowners would be wise to thoroughly inspect their homes, consider adding sump pumps and extra insurance coverage to cover flooding and sewer backups to ensure that future storms wont cause damages seen over the past month.