By Tammie Souza, FOX 32 News Weekend Meteorologist - bio | email
CHICAGO (FOX 32 News) -
Just five years ago on January 7, 2008, an EF-3 tornado tore through parts of Boone and McHenry Counties between 3:30 and 3:48 p.m. Winds were between 136-165 mph and the twister path stretched 13.2 miles.
Hit hardest were the towns of Poplar Grove and Harvard. There were four injuries reported and several homes completely destroyed. Debris that was strewn across melting snow piles made for a bizarre winter sight.
Temperatures reached a record high of 67 degrees that day, but what made this so rare was the time of year it occurred. It was only the second tornado ever reported in the Chicago area during the month of January. The other instance was January 25, 1950 and that tornado touched down in the town of Momence which is in Kankakee County.
Check out the incredible video of a train on the Chicago-Northwestern Railroad as it was struck by the tornado. Twelve cars were derailed including a hazardous material car that led to the evacuation of the nearby town of Lawrence.
Tuesday, January 22 2013 2:26 PM EST2013-01-22 19:26:59 GMT
Chicago ended an impressive 711 day streak without a sub-zero temperature Tuesday morning. That is the 4th longest such stretch since records began in 1871.
Chicago ended an impressive 711 day streak without a sub-zero temperature Tuesday morning. That is the 4th longest such stretch since records began in 1871.
Friday, January 18 2013 11:18 PM EST2013-01-19 04:18:05 GMT
Frigid Arctic air has been pent up across the Hudson Bay area for several weeks now stuck under the influence a strong polar area of low pressure also known as the "polar vortex."
Frigid Arctic air has been pent up across the Hudson Bay area for several weeks now stuck under the influence a strong polar area of low pressure also known as the "polar vortex."
Friday, January 18 2013 3:41 PM EST2013-01-18 20:41:23 GMT
The U.S. drought of 2012 is considered the worst since the 1950s, but there appears to be some brief relief.
The U.S. drought of 2012 is considered the worst since the 1950s, but there appears to be some brief relief thanks to recent soaking rains stretching from the south through the southeast and the Midwest to the Mid-Atlantic states.
Monday, December 3 2012 7:18 PM EST2012-12-04 00:18:16 GMT
Warm, moist air streamed into the Chicago area today and although we were blanketed in fog and clouds, the temperatures soared to record highs between 68 and 72 degrees.
Warm, moist air streamed into the Chicago area today and although we were blanketed in fog and clouds, the temperatures soared to record highs between 68 and 72 degrees.
