Tag Archives: Weather

White Christmas? You Betcha!

Weather,

Depending on your definition of a white Christmas* — it looks like we’ll have one this year.  If we get to Elgin at all, that is. We’re flying to O’Hare and then taking a taxi to Elgin. Wish us luck.

Issued by The National Weather Service
Chicago, IL
5:52 am CST, Tue., Dec. 23, 2008

… WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM CST WEDNESDAY…

A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT.

SNOWFALL OF 2 TO 4 INCHES WILL FALL TODAY WITH AND ADDITIONAL 1 TO 2 INCHES TONIGHT. PRECIPITATION IS EXPECTED TO MIX WITH SLEET AND FREEZING RAIN OVER ALL BUT FAR NORTHERN ILLINOIS TONIGHT. AN ADDITIONAL 1 TO 3 INCHES IS FORECAST FOR WEDNESDAY AS THE MIXED PRECIPITATION TURNS BACK TO ALL SNOW.

A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SNOW MEANS THAT ACCUMULATING SNOW WILL CAUSE PRIMARILY TRAVEL DIFFICULTIES. BE PREPARED FOR SNOW COVERED ROADS AND LIMITED VISIBILITIES… AND USE CAUTION WHILE DRIVING.

More Information

.ANOTHER WINTER STORM WILL BE AFFECTING THE REGION TODAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. THE FIRST PHASE OF THIS STORM SYSTEM IS THE SNOW FALLING ACROSS THE AREA EARLY THIS MORNING. THIS WILL BE FOLLOWED BY A LULL WITH ONLY ON AND OFF LIGHT SNOW OR FLURRIES BEFORE A STEADY ACCUMULATING SNOW BEGINS AGAIN LATER THIS MORNING. SLEET MAY MIX WITH THE SNOW ALONG ANS SOUTH OF U.S. 24 THIS AFTERNOON. MIXED SNOW… SLEET AND FREEZING RAIN WILL GRADUALLY SPREAD NORTH TONIGHT AND MAY REACH AS FAR NORTH AS THE NORTH CHICAGO SUBURBS AND DEKALB BY WEDNESDAY MORNING. AS THE STORM SYSTEM PASSES THE AREA PRECIPITATION WILL RETURN TO ALL SNOW DURING THE DAY.

*I say a white Christmas is when there is fresh snow on the ground — although when it actually snows on Christmas Day —  that is cool. Then it can all melt away on Boxing Day.

Indian Summer

Memories, , ,

It’s Indian Summer here in the DC area. How do I know? I know because we had a frost and now the weather’s turned warm again. That’s my definition of Indian Summer. Other people have different definitions, but I’m sticking to mine.

When I lived in Illinois, the sure sign that winter was coming was the Chicago Tribune‘s annual “Injun Summer” cartoon by John T. McCutcheon on the front of their Sunday magazine (if I recall properly). I’m pretty sure that now it is considered a politically incorrect view of this weather phenomenon and I don’t know if the Trib still runs this in the fall, but you can purchase a copy for $5.95 from their store.

I always looked forward to that cartoon. It meant Halloween was on the way and Thanksgiving not too far behind. It was a tradition in a time that traditions were becoming rarer. My first taste of nostalgia perhaps — a reminder of what the summer was like, and would be again after the cold winter of the Midwest.