Chicago Storm

Just got a new PWS, and set it up online as well. Been a long time coming. https://www.wunderground.com/dashboard/pws/KILSTREA32 .

Most has missed ORD and the metro since Sunday. Should be an increasingly better chance though today, and even more-so tomorrow. .

89’d at ORD, MDW and here today.

ORD was up to 81 as of before 9AM, and probably was on pace for 90...but a large area of clouds has since moved in and will be around for a while. We’ll see if there’s a later day rally. Yesterday topped out at 88 at ORD and MDW. Early and later clouds might have prevented 90 then as well. .

89 at ORD and MDW, and 91 here. .

St. Pete Beach. .

Still in FL on vacation. Had another severe t’storm roll through this evening...the second one on this trip. .

Yea, tomorrow definitely has potential across E IA and N IL. SPC holding at marginal is comical, but par for the course with them. Unfortunately, I’ll still be out of town for this one.

On vacation in St. Pete Beach from Sun-Sun (17-24th)... Had a tornado warning early yesterday morning, as a line of storms moved through with 60mph+ winds. Ended up with a nice sunset, as lingering cirrus finally exited during the evening. .

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8.20” of rain at ORD this month now. As you said, only a bit behind 2019 (8.25”) and 2018 (8.21”). .

Given all of the rotating storms currently in E MO/S IL/SW IN...and an even better environment tomorrow...should be able to get at least a few to produce something.

Looks quite possible, but unfortunately I won't be in town to see it.

Well then...

Through May 13th, ORD only had 0.29" of rain on the month. After the quick turn around the past few days, ORD is now up to 4.52" on the month. With the additional expected rain in the coming days, and then a continued wet pattern looking likely to continue next week/next weekend, can probably start looking ahead to wettest Mays on record. It just so happens the record wettest May was just last year in 2019, with 8.25". It will definitely be within reach if this new event works out.

Looks likely now, possibly locally higher as well.

Finished with an event rainfall total of 4.25" at ORD, and 4.55" at here.

This also makes it the highest calendar day rainfall at any point in the month of May. Previous record was 3.45” on 5/29/1981. .

RECORD EVENT REPORT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHICAGO IL 140 AM CDT FRI MAY 15 2020 ..RECORD DAILY MAXIMUM RAINFALL SET AT CHICAGO-OHARE A RECORD RAINFALL OF 3.53 INCHES WAS SET FOR MAY 15TH AT CHICAGO-OHARE YESTERDAY. THIS BREAKS THE OLD RECORD OF 1.95 SET IN 1945.

Worst and most significant/widespread flooding I have experienced here is ongoing. Most roads are several blocks in which they are partially to fully underwater, many with feet of standing or flowing water...with many closed. The nearby creek flooded a large park complex, which has backed up onto a nearby road. There is one stretch of a nearby road where several blocks are under feet of water, with cars submerged to above their windows and water is entering homes. Up until now the period of tropical remnants of Sept 2008 featured the worst flooding I had seen around here, but this has now topped that. In that case it was 10"+ of rain over a longer span of time, where this was 4"+ of rain in the past 24hrs...and nearly 2"/hr at one point tonight.

~2" of rain at ORD in the past hour.

Still one well pronounced couplet as it is about to enter Kane Co. Looks like on the current track, it will come about 15min driving distance from here. If it holds on a bit longer, might have to take a drive.

New tor warning with it, as there are still two couplets as it moves across DeKalb Co.

There it is... tor warned.

Storm needs a tor warning. Two couplets in Lee Co currently, and becoming better defined with closer approach to radar.