Chicago Storm

Stationed near Franklin, IN. As expected, have had high clouds this morning and afternoon here, varying between scattered to overcast at ~30,000KFT. Looks like the thicker stuff should be out of the way in time for totality.

Have decided to focus on the IN portion of the corridor I had mentioned. Heading down to Indy later today, and will monitor trends tonight/Monday morning to adjust as needed. For that MO/IL/IN/OH corridor, it seems like the better chance to avoid the worst of the cloud situation is there…possibly.

I'm honing in on somewhere in the corridor from SE IL, near the IL/IN border, into C IN. Guidance seems to be in best agreement in keeping this corridor out of the expected high clouds, or at least keeping them minimal until after the eclipse. TX/OK/AR/MO all seem to be a lock to have high clouds of higher coverage and significance. While it may still be visible through the higher clouds in some areas in this corridor, the experience will be far from the same. I never really considered the Northeast as a possibility, as it's going to be cooler (Would rather view in quality weather conditions), and there will likely be a higher density of viewers/travelers there due to the proximity to the higher population centers along the East Coast... And plus, I'm just not really interested in heading up that way anyway. In 2017, I was down in Southwestern Illinois, just outside of the STL metro. I was right just inside the range of totality, so I got to experience brief totality and the effects of riding the edge. This go around, I plan on setting up in full/max totality.

Had a period of snow in the area Wednesday morning, which then transitioned to RASN by midday and then RA for the afternoon. There was another period of RASN this morning, which transitioned to RA by midday. No measurable snowfall accumulation at ORD with either bout of precip the past two days.

One of the best looking and most textbook examples of occlusion we have probably seen in this area/region for as long as I can remember...

There is sort of an exotic phase with this one. Even a bit of fujiwara effect in the Great Lakes for a time between the northern and southern stream main vort lobes and then again out east later on.

Solid garden variety t’storm activity ongoing across the area tonight.

Event snowfall total of 1.0" here at ORD.

Depends on where the F-Gen band sets up. Wherever it does, there will likely will be a corridor of up to 6", maybe even higher.

Anyone notice the Euro change that was made? It still comes out earlier even with the DST change.

Any severe threat up around here for Thursday vanished as quickly as it appeared.

It most definitely is the demise/final warming of the SPV, no question on that at all.

Some of these tornado warnings today have been eek bad.

February 2024 finished as the warmest February on record for Chicago. Warmest February's 1. 39.5° - 2024 2. 39.0° - 1882 3. 38.7° - 1998 4. 38.0° - 2017 5. 37.5° - 1954 6. 37.3° - 1877 7. 37.1° - 1930 8. 36.5° - 1878 9. 35.8° - 1976 10. 35.6° - 1931

February 2024 finished as the warmest February on record for Chicago. Winter 2023/24 finished as the 5th warmest winter on record for Chicago. Warmest February's 1. 39.5° - 2024 2. 39.0° - 1882 3. 38.7° - 1998 4. 38.0° - 2017 5. 37.5° - 1954 6. 37.3° - 1877 7. 37.1° - 1930 8. 36.5° - 1878 9. 35.8° - 1976 10. 35.6° - 1931 Warmest Winter's 1. 37.2 - 1877/78 2. 35.7 - 1931/32 3. 35.2 - 1879/80 4. 35.1 - 1881/82 5. 34.9 - 2023/24 6. 34.6 - 1889/90 7. 33.6 - 1875/76 8. 33.2 - 1997/87 9. 33.1 - 1918/19 10. 32.8 - 2011/12 10. 32.8 - 1920/21

Skilling road off into the sunset tonight…

DVN has confirmed 1 tornado from yesterday, while LOT has confirmed 11 tornadoes.

With the snow at ORD last Friday evening and the t'storms last evening at ORD, the pursuit of a top 10 driest February has ended. The monthly precip total for February 2024 is now up to 0.63".

Chicago/O'Hare had a high temperature of 71° on February 26th, which broke the record high max temperature for the date of 64°, which was set in 2000. Chicago/O'Hare had a low temperature of 52° on February 27th, which broke the record high min temperature for the date of 42°, which was set in 1896.

Broke the record high max temp on Feb 26th and the record high min temp on Feb 27th. However, just barely missed the record high max temp on Feb 27th, the all-time record Feb high max temp, and the all-time record winter high max temp with a high of "only" 74° at ORD yesterday. Also, just missed the all-time record Feb high min temp with a low of "only" 52° at ORD yesterday.

it's been over. if OHweather or myself are not posting tl:dr posts about the long range, there's nothing to see for you winter loving people.

The line of severe t'storms that swept through the metro ended up producing a peak wind gust of 41MPH and 0.50" hail at ORD. It wasn't anything too exciting, but solid for February. The lightning/thunder production may have been the best I can remember in February.

That's part of why there is a risk today.

74° at ORD currently. Just shy of all of the records in play...