Quiet Weather Continues, Humidity Remains Low for the Time Being

The National Weather Service had a busy day yesterday, conducting surveys as part of the Derecho that brought damaging winds and tornado warnings to the Stateline. Surveys have confirmed eight tornadoes from Monday's severe weather event, including 2 that occurred in Rockford, and 1 that occurred in north Chicago (Rogers Park area). Before we get into the forecast, this just debunks the myth that tornadoes do not occur in major cities. The main reason as to why tornadoes are less likely to hit a major city is because the United State is more county than city. As we saw with the results from yesterday's surveys, tornado CAN occur in major cities. There is still plenty to investigate, so a few more surveys are expected in the upcoming days.

Forecast-wise, a high pressure system sitting overhead this morning will keep the weather tranquil for the rest of our Tuesday. In fact, temperatures were able to "bottom out" under mostly clear skies overnight, bringing a comfortable and crisp start for those heading out early on. This beautiful and sun-filled start will lead to the development of a few fair weather cumulus clouds by the afternoon. After topping off with a high of 85 yesterday, very light southeasterly winds will help temperatures climb a degree or two warmer today, with highs in the upper 80s. For those that have some cleaning up to do, or have any outdoor plans today, the humidity will thankfully remain low. 

Throughout the next few days, this high pressure system is expected to settle and strengthen over the Great Lakes region. This will help keep the weather pretty dry as we head into the upcoming weekend. But thanks to the southeasterly winds on the backside of this system, the humidity is expected to slowly rise. Dew points today and tomorrow will remain comfortable, but you'll definitely notice the air feel a bit more sticky by Friday and Saturday. Thankfully, this uptick in humidity is short-lived, as a strong cold front will drop our dew points back down to the comfy range by the start of next week. This cold front will also bring down our high temperatures from 80s on Sunday, to the 70s by Monday. No complaints from me. But happy Wednesday everyone!