View from the Cab: Weather on the Mind
By Kent Casson
I just love talking about the weather.
Perhaps it is because I am a radio announcer and it tends to take up time. Or, maybe it’s because I just like to watch a good thunderstorm and stare at stormy skies in the summer.
There has been no shortage of weather topics in recent weeks as temperatures have roller-coastered from the 70s down to the 30s and so on and so forth. Weather has been dominating headlines across the country as the west digs out from a massive blizzard and we see dust flying in a few farm fields here in Central Illinois.
It may come as no surprise that this past February was the warmest February on record for both Chicago and Rockford with average temperatures in both of those cities ending up more than 10 degrees above normal. The month was relatively dry as well with very little, if any, snowfall reported.
Chicago O’Hare measured an average temperature of 39.5 which was 10.7 degrees above normal. Precipitation was 0.65 inches or 1.32 inches below normal. Snowfall in that region did total 1.2 inches which is considered 9.5 inches below normal.
The two main words from the 2023-2024 winter were “unseasonably warm.” The National Weather Service reports above-normal precipitation but below normal snowfall for the entire season. An observation station at Chicago O’Hare reported an average temperature of 34.9 which was 6.8 degrees above normal making it the fifth warmest winter there. Precipitation was 7.12 inches, 1.05 inches above normal and snowfall reached 18.5 inches, 11.1 inches below normal.
Rockford experienced the warmest winter on record with an average temperature of 32.4 or 7.5 degrees above normal.
Now that meteorological spring is upon us, thoughts turn to severe weather season here in Illinois and the rest of the Midwest. Last week was Severe Weather Preparedness Week which included a statewide tornado drill, routine NOAA weather radio tests and even a social media tornado drill.
Weather experts say it is a good time to review personal weather safety plans for home, work, school, the road and elsewhere. The special week allowed decision makers to review preparedness plans, ensuring they can adequately monitor weather in order to shelter individuals.
The National Weather Service suggests we all have weather safety procedures at school, home, work, the road, places of worship and other locations.
More information can be found at www.weather.gov/lot/severeprepare.
