CLIMATE

Check out www.wunderground.com for information about current weather in the Chicago area.

Our winters are clear and cold. Temperatures go down to 0°F (-18°C) every year, and in some years they drop down to -15°F (-26°C) for a day or two. Strong winds can accentuate the discomfort. The annual snowfall varies from 0.5 to 1.0 meters with periods of thaw.

Temperatures during the spring season fluctuate by 55°F (15°C) within days. May and June are pleasant.

July and August are hot and often humid. Temperatures usually rise above 90°F (32°C) for a week or two.

Autumn is typically clear and pleasant with temperatures around 68°F (20°C). Often, the days become unseasonably warm for a short period at some time between mid-September and October, which is called "Indian Summer."

A substantial part of our rain, especially in the spring and summer months, comes in the form of thunderstorms with frequent gusts of wind. If the atmosphere indicates severe weather conditions, radio and TV stations will constantly give detailed information about where the most severe incidents are currently occurring. You should keep yourself informed and have a battery- powered radio ready in case of a power outage. If conditions become life-threatening due to a tornado in your area, sirens will warn you. The sirens are tested every first Tuesday of the month at 10 a.m.

If you hear sirens in severe weather you should immediately seek shelter. If you are on-site at Argonne , go to the designated shelter areas. Everywhere else, where shelter areas are not specifically designated, seek shelter inside the basement of a building or a room on the lowest floor facing inside without any windows, perhaps the bathroom. The bathtub and the surrounding plumbing usually provide the best protection.

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