| 2025-08-12 | 7:00 AM | 0.01 | NA | NA | NA | NA | | 12 Aug: PRTLY CLDY 74.5° REL HMDTY 93% AQI 44 DP 72.1° WND CLM 0.0 MPH BRM 29.98 STDY VIS 7 MI Sunrise 5:57 Sunset 7:55. 11 Aug: Hi 89.2° (1710) PK WBGT 86.3° (1620) Yellow Flag danger after 30 minutes of outdoor exertion Lo 72.5° (0650) CDD 16 GUST SW 12.5 MPH (1235). *** Yet another awful day in 1918 brought maximum temperature of 101° It was the third 100°+ reading in a week. Hey Virginia, the ‘good old days’ were not always so good. Spanish Flu and World War I raged. Almost no one of those days knew of air-conditioning. NNNN |
| 2025-08-11 | 7:00 AM | 0.00 | 0.0 | NA | NA | NA | | 11 Aug: OVRCST 71.4° REL HMDTY 95% AQI 51 DP 69.8° WND CLM 0.0 MPH BRM 30.02 STDY VIS 10 MI Sunrise 5:56 Sunset 7:56. 10 Aug: Hi 89.6° (1555) PK WBGT 84.6° (1555) Green Flag danger after 45 minutes outdoor exertion Lo 71.4° (0619) CDD 18 GUST SW 20 MPH (1215). *** 3.7” rain fell on this date in 1923 as Jolietans mourned the death of President Warren G. Harding. NNNN |
| 2025-08-10 | 6:00 AM | 0.00 | 0.0 | NA | NA | NA | | 10 Aug: CLR 73.9° REL HMDTY 91% AQI 45 DP 71.6° WND SE 5.0 MPH BRM 30.04 STDY VIS 10 MI Sunrise 5:55 Sunset 7:58. 9 Aug: Hi 95.1° (1555) PK WBGT 86.5° (1605) Yellow Flag danger after 30 minutes exertion Lo 72.3° (0700) CDD 18 GUST S 18 MPH (1555). *** A rare derecho with short, forward-accelerating squall line from “wake low pressure” struck in late afternoon on this date five years ago. 2016 study had said Northeastern Illinois would be ground zero for these warm season, progressive storms with 75+ MPH winds and the south side of New Lenox was nailed by this one. Our roof, siding, screens, and power awning were severely damaged. Four large limbs pierced our structure and one even came through a wall into the garage. Deck and five trees were badly mangled and the result was no electrical power for 30 hours. Total rehabilitation tab (fully covered by Pekin Insurance) was $46,000. NNNN |
| 2025-08-09 | 7:00 AM | 0.00 | 0.0 | NA | NA | NA | | 9 Aug: CLR 71.4° REL HMDTY 91% AQI 54 DP 68.7° WND CLM 0.0 MPH BRM 30.02 STDY VIS 10 MI Sunrise 5:52 Sunset 7:59. 8 Aug: Hi 92.5° (1610) PEAK WBGT 86° (1515) resulting in Yellow Flag conditions with danger to health occurring after 30 minutes exertion Lo 70.5° (0505) CDD 18 GUST S 18 MPH (1555). *** Am now using Wet Bulb Globe Temperature Index to report the danger of our recent hot/humid days. Many meteorologists believe this to be a better way of indicate stress from weather than the simpler but less informative heat index. As per one’s latitude and longitude, WBGT uses temperature, intensity of the sun, angle of the sun, relative humidity, wind speed, dew point, and percent of cloud coverage to arrive at a figure. The scale of serious heat is: 80-85° WBGT = stress when exposed/working in the aforementioned elements for 45 minutes, 85-88° for 30 minutes, 88-90° for only 20 minutes, and >90° but 15 minutes. The formula and more can be found at www.wbgt.app. |
| 2025-08-08 | 7:00 AM | 0.00 | 0.0 | NA | NA | NA | | 8 Aug: FG/MST 70.7° REL HMDTY 98% AQI 53 DP 70.3° WND CLM 0.0 MPH BRM 30.06 STDY VIS 2.0 MI Sunrise 5:53 Sunset 8:00. 7 Aug: Hi 91.4° (1655) Lo 70.7° (0616) CDD 17 GUST S 8 MPH (1815). *** Yet another Dust Bowl era temperature record was set in Joliet on this date in 1934 as the mercury hit 100°. NNNN |
| 2025-08-07 | 7:00 AM | 0.00 | 0.0 | NA | NA | NA | | 7 Aug: CLR 71.4° REL HMDTY 86% AQI 56 DP 65.8° WND CLM 0.0 MPH BRM 30.12 STDY VIS 10 MI Sunrise 5:52 Sunset 8:01. 6 Aug: Hi 88.5° (1610) Lo 67.8° (0700) CDD 11 GUST SW 7 MPH (1255). *** With Joliet area residents being told to stay in their non-air-conditioned homes in the second wave of the Spanish Flu, citizens endured a suffocating 99° just two days after they survived 102°. NNNN |
| 2025-08-06 | 7:00 AM | 0.00 | 0.0 | NA | NA | NA | | 6 Aug: HZ/FG 66.6° REL HMDTY 98% AQI 118 - poor - DP 65.8° WND CLM 0.0 MPH BRM 30.24 STDY VIS 1.0 MI Sunrise 5:51 Sunset 8:03. 5 Aug: Hi 86.4° (1555) Lo 65.7° (0245) CDD 9 GUST E 9 MPH (1115). *** 74°, sunny, and SSE winds 10-15 MPH were meteorological conditions on this date at 8 a.m. in 1945 for……..Hiroshima. NNNN |
| 2025-08-05 | 7:00 AM | 0.00 | 0.0 | NA | NA | NA | | 5 Aug: HZ 62.1° REL HMDTY 93% AQI 62 DP 59.7° WND CLM 0.0 MPH BRM 30.20 STDY VIS 10 MI Sunrise 5:50 Sunset 8:04. 4 Aug: Hi 84.6° (1430) Lo 61.5° (0420) CDD 7 GUST E 17 MPH (1015). *** The second wave of the so-called Spanish Flu and huge World War I casualties were both accompanied by the misery of 102° in Joliet on this date in 1918. NNNN |
| 2025-08-04 | 7:00 AM | 0.00 | 0.0 | NA | NA | NA | | 4 Aug: CLR 64.6° REL HMDTY 80% AQI 101 - poor - DP 58.1° WND CLM 0.0 MPH BRM 30.12 STDY VIS 10 MI Sunrise 5:49 Sunset 8:05. 3 Aug: Hi 82.0° (1605) Lo 59.0° (0700) CDD 5 GUST E 9 MPH (1635). *** Joliet area residents sweated with a 100° maximum on this day in 1947, the first of three consecutive days of 100° (has happened on two other occasions). FOX weather guy Mark Strehl was born this fine day in Ottawa back in 1960. NNNN |
| 2025-08-03 | 7:00 AM | 0.00 | 0.0 | NA | NA | NA | | 3 Aug: HZ/MST 61.5° REL HMDTY 83% AQI 83 DP 57.4° WND CLM 0.0 MPH BRM 30.20 STDY VIS 5 MI Sunrise 5:48 Sunset 8:06. 2 Aug: Hi 80.1° (1330) Lo 57.9° (0620) CDD 4 GUST E 13 MPH (1115). *** Driest August happened in 1893 during Chicago’s Columbian Exposition. A paltry total of 0.18” rain made for a dusty midway. NNNN |
| 2025-08-02 | 7:00 AM | 0.00 | 0.0 | NA | NA | NA | | 2 Aug: CLR 59.4° REL HMDTY 87% AQI 98 DP 55.2° WND CLM 0.0 MPH BRM 30.34 STDY VIS 10 MI Sunrise 5:47 Sunset 8:07. 1 Aug: PK AQI 148 (0700) Hi 78.1° (1340) Lo 57.0° (0415) CDD 3 GUST NE 18 MPH (1515). *** In Des Moines, Iowa on this date in 1952 a pleasant high of 81° (56° low) with gentle breezes greeted the first day of my wife’s life. NNNN |
| 2025-08-01 | 7:00 AM | 0.00 | 0.0 | NA | NA | NA | | 1 Aug: OVRCST/HZ 60.8° REL HMDTY 93% AQI 120 (POOR!) DP 58.5° WND CLM 0.0 MPH BRM 30.29 RSG VIS 5 MI Sunrise 5:46 Sunset 8:09. 31 Jul: PK AQI 171 (1400) Hi 77.9° (1500) Lo 59.7° (0540) CDD 5 GUST NE 25 MPH (1135). *** Northeastern Illinois’ red-hot (47 days with highs over 90°) and arid summer of 1988 set a 150+ year standard with an overnight low of but 80° on this date. NNNN |
| 2025-07-31 | 7:00 AM | 0.47 | 0.0 | NA | NA | NA | | Rain: 2025 24.35" (normal 22.97") Summer 11.72" (n 8.72") July 8.06" (n 4.57") 31 Jul: OVRCST 66.6° REL HMDTY 81% AQI 90 (POOR!) DP 60.6° WND NE 17.8 MPH BRM 30.11 RSG VIS 7 MI Sunrise 5:43 Sunset 8:09. 30 Jul: Hi 82.2° (1045) Lo 66.6° (0636) CDD 9 GUST NE 24 MPH (0455). *** The final of 3 consecutive 100+ days victimized New Lenox on this date in 1999. Legendary WGN weather guy Jim Tilmon was born 31 July in 1934 (died 1/16/2021). NNNN
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| 2025-07-30 | 7:00 AM | 0.00 | 0.0 | NA | NA | NA | | 30 Jul: MSTLY CLDY 75.6° REL HMDTY 93% AQI 37 DP 73.2° WND CLM 0.0 MPH BRM 30.05 STDY VIS 10 MI Sunrise 5:42 Sunset 8:10. 29 Jul: Hi 92.3° (1720) Lo 72.5° (0700) CDD 17 GUST S 9 MPH (0755). *** Wettest July in these parts occurred only 14 years ago in 2011 when 11.85” rain drenched the southwest suburban landscape. Driest July was in 1948 when ZERO rain occurred. NNNN |
| 2025-07-29 | 6:00 AM | 0.37 | NA | NA | NA | NA | | 29 Jul: CLR 72.3° REL HMDTY 90% AQI 52 (poor) DP 69.4° WND CLM 0.0 MPH BRM 30.14 RSG VIS 10 MI Sunrise 5:41 Sunset 8:11. 28 Jul: Hi 91.4° (1645) Lo 69.3° (0435) CDD 19 GUST N 10 MPH (0935). *** For the good people of Joliet in 1916, matters grew even worse on this date as the overnight minimum wouldn’t break below 85°. NNNN |
| 2025-07-28 | 7:00 AM | 0.68 | NA | NA | NA | NA | | 28 Jul: HVY R 73.2° REL HMDTY 99% AQI 21 DP 72.9° WND W 6.0 MPH BRM 30.08 RSG VIS 2.5 MI Sunrise 5:40 Sunset 8:13. 27 Jul: Hi 90.5° (1610) Lo 73.2° (0659) CDD 16 GUST S 9 MPH (1355). *** Yet another awful 84° overnight low was recorded on this date in 1916. (See my weather history blurb for 26 July.) NNNN |
| 2025-07-27 | 7:00 AM | 0.68 | NA | NA | NA | NA | | --Overnight rain brought the year's amount to 22.33"; first time in the 228 days of 2025 we've been above the normal annual total-- 27 Jul: FG/MST 74.3° REL HMDTY 99% AQI 19 DP 74.1° WND CLM 0.0 MPH BRM 30.00 STDY VIS 4 MI Sunrise 5:39 Sunset 8:14. 26 Jul: Hi 87.1° (1725) Lo 71.2° (0700) CDD 13 GUST W 5 MPH (0955). *** This date in 1955 marked the beginning of a sweltering streak of 90° or greater maximums that lasted until 5 August. NNNN |
| 2025-07-26 | 7:00 AM | 0.96 | NA | NA | NA | NA | | 26 Jul: OVRCST 71.4° REL HMDTY 99% AQI 27 DP 71.1° WND CLM 0.0 MPH BRM 29.98 STDY VIS 10 MI Sunrise 5:38 Sunset 8:15. 25 Jul: Hi 82.2° (1135) Lo 71.2° (0330) CDD 13 GUST SE 8 MPH (1115). *** Beginnings of the Spanish Flu and approach of America’s entry into the Great War weren’t bad enough? From the 26th to 30th overnight lows were 80° or above in late July 1916. NNNN |
| 2025-07-25 | 7:00 AM | 0.53 | NA | NA | NA | NA | | 25 Jul: MSTLY CLDY 71.8° REL HMDTY 99% AQI 21 DP 71.4° WND CLM 0.0 MPH BRM 30.01 STDY VIS 7 MI Sunrise 5:37 Sunset 8:16. 24 Jul: Peak heat index 110 Hi 93.6° (1430) Lo 71.4° (0550) CDD 18 GUST N 28 MPH (1455). *** 93° maximum and 73° minimum were the conditions under sunny, breezy skies as sister #2 of mine was born at Joliet’s Silver Cross Hospital in 1960. NNNN |
| 2025-07-24 | 7:00 AM | 0.00 | 0.0 | NA | NA | NA | | 24 Jul: CLR 75.2° REL HMDTY 98% AQI 43 DP 74.7° WND CLM 0.0 MPH BRM 30.00 STDY VIS 10 MI Sunrise 5:36 S unset 8:16. 23 Jul: Peak heat index 120.3 Hi 94.1° (1614) Lo 71.2° (0700) CDD 18 GUST S 17 MPH (1155). *** 105° on the thermometer became the ALL-TIME Chicago maximum! It occurred on this steamy date in 1934 but could have been worse: the state's historic worst was 117° in East St. Louis exactly 20 years later. NNNN |
| 2025-07-23 | 7:00 AM | 0.00 | 0.0 | NA | NA | NA | | |