May Weather Trivia Statements
May 1
MAY 1, 1909: CHILLY WEATHER SETTLED OVER NORTHERN ILLINOIS FOR THE START OF MAY. THE HIGH TEMPERATURE ONLY CLIMBED TO 38 DEGREES AT CHICAGO AND 42 AT ROCKFORD. BOTH STATIONS SET NEW LOW MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE RECORDS WHICH STILL STAND TODAY.
May 2
...CHICAGO... MAY 2, 1940: WINTER MOVED IN AND SETTLED ACROSS NORTHERN ILLINOIS FOR A SECOND DAY. THE TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR CHICAGO THIS COLD MAY WAS 2.2 INCHES...SETTING THE RECORD FOR THE MOST SNOW IN MAY FOR THE METROPOLITAN AREA.
...ROCKFORD... MAY 2, 1933: HEAVY RAIN FELL ON ROCKFORD BRINGING A 24-HOUR TOTAL OF 1.25 INCHES. THIS ENDED UP SETTING A RECORD FOR THE GREATEST PRECIPITATION AMOUNT ON THE 2ND. THIS WAS ALSO JUST THE BEGINNING FOR WHAT WOULD BE THE 2ND WETTEST MAY ON RECORD WITH A MONTHLY TOTAL OF 8.88 INCHES.
May 3
...CHICAGO... MAY 3, 1955: THIS WAS THE THIRD OF A FOUR CONSECUTIVE DAY WARM SPELL THAT HAD MOVED INTO NORTHERN ILLINOIS. TEMPERATURES CLIMBED INTO THE 80S AND 90S ACROSS THE AREA. CHICAGO HAD A RECORD-SETTING TEMPERATURE OF 92 DEGREES ON THIS DATE.
...ROCKFORD... MAY 3, 2004: JUST LAST YEAR...MAY OF 2004 STARTED OUT ON THE CHILLY SIDE AS HIGH TEMPERATURES NEVER CLIMBED OUT OF THE 50S FOR THE FIRST THREE DAYS. HOWEVER ON THIS DATE...THE LOW FELL TO 29 DEGREES SETTING A NEW RECORD LOW TEMPERATURE.
May 4
MAY 4, 1952: NORTHERN ILLINOIS EXPERIENCED SUMMER-LIKE TEMPERATURES AS HIGH TEMPERATURES CLIMBED TO 92 DEGREES AT BOTH CHICAGO AND ROCKFORD. THIS ENDED UP SETTING A HIGH TEMPERATURE RECORD AT BOTH STATIONS.
May 5
...CHICAGO... MAY 5, 1890: CLOUDY AND COOL WEATHER MADE ITS MARK IN THE CHICAGO AREA AS THIS WAS THE SECOND OF FOUR CONSECUTIVE DAYS WHEN THE HIGH TEMPERATURE FAILED TO REACH THE 50 DEGREE MARK. THIS IS 16 DEGREES BELOW NORMAL.
...ROCKFORD... MAY 5, 1949: ROCKFORD RESIDENTS EXPERIENED SUMMER-LIKE CONDITIONS FOR THE START OF MAY AS THIS WAS THE SECOND OF A TWO CONSECUTIVE DAY STRETCH WHERE HIGH TEMPERATURES CLIMED TO AT LEAST 90 DEGREES. ON THIS DATE...THE HIGH REACHED 93 DEGREES...SETTING A HIGH TEMPERATURE RECORD.
May 6
MAY 6, 1983: GUSTY WINDS CAUSED UNUSUAL DUST STORMS ACROSS PORTIONS OF NORTHERN ILLINOIS. THE DUST WAS KICKED UP FROM FRESHLY PLOWED FARM FIELDS DRIVN BY WINDS GUSTING UP TO 30 MPH.THE BLOWING DUST REDUCED VISIBILITIES TO AROUND 2 MILES AT TIMES.
May 7
...CHICAGO... MAY 7, 1882: CHICAGO RECORDED A DAILY HIGH TEMPERATURE OF 53 DEGREES AND A MORNING LOW OF 43. UNFORTUNATELY...THIS WAS FAIRLY TYPICAL FOR MAY OF 1882. THE AVERAGE MONTHLY TEMPERATURE WAS 51.5 DEGREES...MAKING IT THE COLDEST MAY ON RECORD FOR THE CITY.
...ROCKFORD... MAY 7, 1917: A COLD SNAP SETTLED OVER ROCKFORD AS LOW TEMPERATURES FELL BELOW FREEZING ON THREE CONSECUTIVE DAYS ENDING ON THE 7TH. HOWEVER THIS WASN'T THE ONLY TIME DURING THE MONTH WITH BELOW NORMAL TEMPERATURES. IN FACT...MUCH OF THE MONTH HAD TEMPERATURES THAT WERE SOME 5 TO 20 DEGREES BELOW NORMAL. THIS RESULTED IN MAY OF 1917 RANKING AS THE 4TH COLDEST MAY IN ROCKFORDS HISTORY.
May 8
...CHICAGO... MAY 8, 1914: THIS WAS THE THIRD OF SEVEN CONSECUTIVE DAYS THAT MEASUREABLE RAIN FELL IN CHICAGO. THE TOTAL FOR THIS DATE WAS 0.22 INCHES. HOWEVER...THE SEVEN-DAY TOTAL WAS 3.07 INCHES...JUST ONE QUARTER OF AN INCH BELOW THE MONTHLY AVERAGE.
...ROCKFORD... MAY 8, 1992: THE DIURNAL SWING WAS 40 DEGREES ON THIS DAY. TEMPERATURES PEAKED AT 80 DEGREES...WHICH IS 12 DEGREES ABOVE THE NORMAL HIGH AND THEN FELL TO 40 DEGREES...FIVE DEGREES BELOW THE NORMAL LOW.
May 9
...CHICAGO... MAY 9, 1990: THUNDERSTORMS MOVED ACROSS THE CHICAGO AREA DURING THE AFTERNOON HOURS OF THE 9TH. AT TIMES BETWEEN 0.50 AND 0.75 INCHES OF RAIN FELL IN AN HOUR. A TOTAL OF 3.14 INCHES FELL ON THIS DATE. THIS LED TO MAY OF 1990 TO GO DOWN AS IN THE TOP 10 WETTEST MAYS ON RECORD.
...ROCKFORD... MAY 9, 1918: TORNADOES SLAMMED IN NORTHWEST AND NORTH CENTRAL ILLINOIS BETWEEN 7 AND 8 PM. ONE TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN NEAR POLO AND TRAVELED NORTHEAST THROUGH BYRON AND THEN TO CHERRY VALLEY. THE INJURED TOTALED 19 WITH 14 INJURIES OCCURRING IN OVERTURNED RAILROAD CARS. OVER 50 HOMES AND 30 FARMS WERE DAMAGED. ONE FARMER SAID "THE FUNNEL-SHAPED, SMOKE-LIKE MASS BOUNDED OVER THE EARTH LIKE AN EVIL SPIRIT".
May 10
MAY 10, 1966: IT WAS A BIT CHILLY ACROSS NORTHERN ILLINOIS FOR THE PAST TWO DAYS. ON THIS DATE...CHICAGO RECORDED A LOW OF 29 DEGREES WHILE ON THE DAY BEFORE...THE LOW FELL TO 32. IN ROCKFORD THE MORNING LOW REACHED 24 DEGREES...THE ALL-TIME COLDEST TEMPERATURE RECORDED FOR THE MONTH OF MAY IN THE CITY'S HISTORY. A RECORD WAS ALSO SET THE DAY BEFORE WITH A MORNING LOW TEMPERATURE OF 27 DEGREES. ALTHOUGH MAY OF 1966 DIDN'T RANK IN THE TOP 10 COLDEST MAYS IN CHICAGO'S HISTORY...IT RANKED AS THE COLDEST MAY IN ROCKFORDS'.
May 11
...CHICAGO... MAY 11, 1966: AN INTENSE LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM MOVED THROUGH SOUTHERN ILLINOIS...AND COLD CANADIAN HIGH PRESSURE HAD SETTLED OVER THE GREAT LAKES. THE COMBINATION PRODUCED STRONG EASTERLY WINDS AND A VERY COLD RAIN OVER CHICAGO. CONTINUOUS LIGHT TO MODERATE RAIN FELL ON THE 11TH AND 12TH ESTABLISHING A RECORD 24-HOUR RAINFALL TOTAL FOR THE MONTH OF MAY WITH 3.63 INCHES. WIDESPREAD FLOODING WAS REPORTED AND SEVERAL FAMILIES IN CRESTWOOD HAD TO BE EVACUATED BY ROWBOATS. SNOW FELL ON THIS DATE ALSO...THE LATEST MEASUREABLE SNOW ON RECORD FOR THE SEASON WITH 0.2 INCHES. SOME AREAS IN CHICAGO RECEIVED OVER 2 INCHES DUE TO THE STRONG EASTERLY WINDS.
...ROCKFORD... MAY 11, 1922: THIS WAS THE SECOND CONSECUTIVE DAY WHERE HIGH TEMPERATURES CLIMBED UP TO AT LEAST 90 DEGREES. ON THIS DATE THE HIGH REACHED 90 DEGREES WHILE THE 10TH RECORDED A HIGH OF 91. THIS LED TO BOTH DAYS SETTING NEW HIGH TEMPERATURE RECORDS.
May 12
MAY 12, 1981: THIS WAS THE LAST TIME DURING THE MONTH WHERE LOW TEMPERATURES AT OR BELOW FREEZING WERE RECORDED. ON THIS DATE... THE LOW FELL TO 31 DEGREES AT CHICAGO AND 29 DEGREES AT ROCKFORD. NEW LOW TEMPERATURE RECORDS WERE SET AT BOTH STATIONS. BESIDES THESE COLD TEMPERATURES...MOST OF MAY WAS COLDER THAN NORMAL...RESULTING IN THE MONTH BEING ABOUT 3 DEGREES BELOW NORMAL AT BOTH SITES.
May 13
...CHICAGO... MAY 13, 1935: HEAVY RAIN THAT STARTED ON THE 12TH ENDED ON THIS DATE. IN 24 HOURS, 3.30 INCHES OF RAIN FELL. MANY RESIDENTS REPORTED FLOODING OF BASEMENTS AND UNDERPASSES WERE FLOODED...HAMPERING TRAFFIC.
...ROCKFORD... MAY 13, 1959: NORTHWEST WINDS AROUND 20 MPH IN THE EARLY MORNING HOURS OF THE 13TH COUPLED WITH A LACK OF RAINFALL OVER A COUPLE OF DAYS LED TO BLOWING DUST OVER NORTHERN ILLINOIS. VISIBILITIES WERE REDUCED TO 1 OR 2 MILES. THIS DUST ORIGINATED IN NORTH DAKOTA AND MINNESOTA'S FRESHLY PLOWED FARM FIELDS.
May 14
MAY 14, 1962: THIS WAS AN UNUSUALLY WARM MAY ACROSS NORTHERN ILLINOIS. MANY TEMPERATURE RECORDS WERE SET AT CHICAGO AND ROCKFORD. FROM THE 14TH THROUGH THE 19TH THE HIGH TEMPERATURE WAS 90 DEGREES OR BETTER AT CHICAGO WHILE ROCKFORD SAW TEMPERATURES AT 90 DEGREES FRON THE 17TH THROUGH THE 19TH. THIS LED TO MAY OF 1962 BEING THE 2ND WARMEST MAY ON RECORD AT CHICAGO WHILE IT WAS THE 12TH WARMEST AT ROCKFORD.
May 15
...CHICAGO... MAY 15, 1915: THIS WAS THE 9TH OF EIGHTEEN DAYS THAT IT RAINED ACROSS CHICAGO. ON THIS DATE...2.31 INCHES FELL...SETTING A RECORD FOR THIS DATE. THE MONTH ENDED UP WITH A TOTAL OF 7.04 INCHES...OVER TWICE THE MONTHLY AVERAGE AND RANKED IN THE TOP TEN WETTEST MAYS ON RECORD.
...ROCKFORD... MAY 15, 1977: IT WAS A WARM AND WET DAY ACROSS THE ROCKFORD AREA. ON THIS DATE...THUNDERSTORMS ROLLED ACROSS THE AREA PRODUCING HEAVY RAIN AND HAIL. FROM 3 TO 5 AM...2.65 INCHES OF RAIN FELL. A TOTAL OF 3.61 INCHES FELL FOR THE DAY...SETTING A RECORD FOR THE 15TH. ALSO ON THIS DATE...THE LOW ONLY FELL TO 65 DEGREES...TYING WITH 1962 FOR THE RECORD HIGH MINIMUM TEMPERATURE FOR THE 15TH.
May 16
MAY 16, 1945: THIS WAS THE FOURTH OF FIVE DAYS WHEN SUNSHINE WAS NOT ABLE TO BREAK THROUGH THE CLOUDS OVER CHICAGO WHERE AS ROCKFORD RECORDED 19 DAYS WITHOUT SUNSHINE. WITH CONTINUED NORTHEAST WINDS... DAILY HIGH TEMPERATURES WERE WELL BELOW NORMAL. FOR TWO CONSECUTIVE DAYS ROCKFORD'S HIGH TEMPERATURE WAS ONLY 49 DEGREES...AND BOTH ARE RECORDS FOR THE LOWEST DAILY HIGH TEMPERATURE FOR CITY.
May 17
...CHICAGO... MAY 17, 1977: SEVERAL HOMES CAUGHT FIRE DURING AN EARLY MORNING THUNDERSTORM ACCOMPANIED BY A VIOLENT LIGHTNING DISPLAY THAT MOVED ACROSS CRYSTAL LAKE. LIGHTNING STRUCK A HOME UNDER CONSTRUCTION... CAUSING EXTENSIVE FIRE DAMAGE. FIRE CAUSED BY LIGHTNING ALSO BROUGHT ENTIRE DESTRUCTION TO A GARAGE AT THE SAME LOCATION.
...ROCKFORD... MAY 17, 2002: IT WAS A CHILLY MAY FOR ROCKFORD RESIDENTS AS MOST OF THE MONTH SAW BELOW NORMAL TEMPERATURES. ON THIS DATE...THE HIGH ONLY CLIMBED TO 48 DEGREES...SETTING A RECORD FOR THE LOWEST DAILY HIGH TEMPERATURE.
May 18
...CHICAGO... MAY 18, 1883: ONE OF THE DEADLIEST TORNADO OUTBREAKS IN ILLINOIS'S HISTORY HAPPENED ON THIS DATE. LATE IN THE AFTERNOON A TORNADO WENT THROUGH BOONE AND MCHENRY COUNTIES. HOMES AND BARNS WERE STREWN FOR MILES. LATER THAT NIGHT ONE WENT NEAR PEOTONE. AN ELDERLY COUPLE SLEEPING WAS SERIOUSLY INJURED WHEN THEIR HOUSE WAS LIFTED AND CARRIED 30 FEET. ALL TOTAL...53 INDIVIDUALS WERE KILLED AND 267 INJURED.
...ROCKFORD... MAY 18, 1898: TORNADOES RAVAGED NORTH CENTRAL ILLINOIS ON THIS DATE. A F4 TORNADO PASSED JUST SOUTH OF POLO...PASSING THROUGH AND DISTROYING THE SOUTHERN HALF OF STILLMAN VALLEY. MANY FARMS WERE DEVASTATED AND HAD NOTHING LEFT BUT KINDLING WOOD. A SHORT LIVED TORNADO OCCURRED SHORTLY AFTER PASSING 2 MILES SOUTH OF BYRON IN OGLE COUNTY...KILLING A FARM HAND. AT THE SAME TIME ANOTHER F4 TORNADO MOVED THROUGH LEE COUNTY KILLING A WOMAN AS HER HOME WAS SWEPT AWAY ABOUT 6 MILES NORTH OF PAW PAW. AS MANY AS NINE TORNADOES STRUCK OGLE AND LEE COUNTIES.
May 19
...CHICAGO... MAY 19, 1977: THIS WAS THE FOURTH DAY OF A TERRIBLE HEAT IN CHICAGO. OVER A 9-DAY PERIOD THE DAILY HIGH TEMPERATURE WAS 90 DEGREES OR HIGHER. EIGHT DIFFERENT TEMPERATURE RECORDS WERE SET... INCLUDING THE ALL-TIME HOTTEST MAY ON RECORD. THE MONTHLY AVERAGE TEMPERATURE WAS 69.3 DEGREES. OVER THE 9 DAYS TEMPERATURES WERE AROUND 20 DEGREES OR MORE ABOVE NORMAL.
...ROCKFORD... MAY 19, 1911: THERE WAS A STRETCH OF WARM WEATHER THAT MOVED OVER THE ROCKFORD AREA AS THIS WAS THE FIFTH DAY IN A 9-DAY PERIOD WHERE LOW TEMPERATURES ONLY FELL INTO THE 60S. ON THIS DATE...THE LOW FELL TO 69 DEGREES...WHICH SET A HIGHEST MINIMUM TEMPERATURE RECORD.
May 20
MAY 20, 1975: SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH STRONG WINDS PUMMELLED MUCH OF NORTHERN ILLINOIS DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING HOURS. THESE STORMS DEVELOPED SOUTHWEST OF ROCKFORD AND DEMOLISHED A BARN NEAR POLO IN OGLE COUNTY. WIND GUSTS TO 70 MPH WERE REPORTED AT THE GREATER ROCKFORD AIRPORT. THESE STORMS ALSO DROPPED GOLF BALL SIZE HAIL AND STRONG WINDS CAUSED WIDESPREAD DAMAGE ACROSS NORTHERN ILLINOIS. THE CITY OF DWIGHT IN LIVINGSTON COUNTY SUFFERED MAJOR DAMAGE AS 80 MPH WINDS RAVAGED THE TOWN FOR TEN STRAIGHT MINUTES AT AROUND 3 PM...AND GUSTS TO 90 MPH WERE RECORDED. ROOFS WERE BLOWN OFF HOMES AND BUSINESSES AND SEVEN MOBLE HOMES WERE DEMOLISHED. ON U.S. 66...A TRACTOR TRAILER WAS BLOWN ON ITS SIDE AND SEVERAL CARS WERE BLOWN OFF THE ROADWAY. HEAVY RAIN CAUSED WIDESPREAD FLOODING OF EXPRESSWAYS...VIADUCTS AND BASEMENTS IN THE CHICAGO METROPOLITAN AREA. IN TOTAL...THESE STORMS INJURED 12 AND KILLED A COMMONWEALTH EDISON CONSTRUCTION WORKER AS LIGHTNING STRUCK A CRANE HE WAS OPERATING AND ELECTROCUTED HIM. A TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN IN GARDNER WHERE ONE MAN WHO WAS TRAPPED INSIDE A TRAILER WAS INJURED.
May 21
MAY 21, 2002: THIS WAS THE COLDEST DAY IN A CHILLY MONTH AT ROCKFORD AND CHICAGO. BOTH STATIONS REPORTED LOW TEMPERATURES BELOW FREEZING...WITH 31 DEGREES AT CHICAGO AND 29 AT ROCKFORD... SETTING A RECORD LOW TEMPERATURE FOR THE 21ST.
May 22
...CHICAGO... MAY 22, 1992: EXTREMELY DRY WEATHER MOVED INTO NORTHERN ILLINOIS DURING THIS MONTH...RESULTING IN THE ALL-TIME DRIEST MAY FOR CHICAGO. ON THE 22ND...THIS WAS THE FIRST DAY CHICAGO RECORDED MEASURABLE RAIN FOR THE MONTH...AND WITH THE NEXT DAY'S TOTAL...THE MONTH ENDED WITH 0.30 INCHES OF RAINFALL. THIS IS ONLY NINE PERCENT OF THE MONTHLY AVERAGE FOR THE CITY.
...ROCKFORD... MAY 22, 1959: IT WAS ANOTHER STORMY DAY IN ROCKFORD...HOWEVER ONLY 0.13 INCHES OF PRECIPITATION FELL. THIS WAS JUST ONE OF 19 DAYS WHERE PRECIPITATION FELL. DESPITE NEARLY TWO THIRDS OF THE DAYS HAVING RAIN...THE MONTHLY PRECIPITATION TOTAL WAS STILL ONLY ABOUT HALF THE MONTHLY AVERAGE.
May 23
...CHICAGO... MAY 23, 1979: STRONG WINDS BATTERED THE CITY OF CHICAGO IN THE AFTERNOON...TEARING BOATS FROM THEIR MOORINGS IN THE HARBOR AND ENDANGERING PEDESTRIANS WITH WINDBLOWN OBJECTS. A MAN WAS INJURED WHEN A BARRICADE FELL ON HIM AT THE CHICAGO CITY HALL.
...ROCKFORD... MAY 23, 1921: A HEAT WAVE MOVED INTO THE ROCKFORD VICINITY. ON THIS DATE THE THERMOMETER REACHED 95 DEGREES...AND 93 FOR THE NEXT DAY. BOTH DAYS WERE RECORD-SETTING TEMPERATURES FOR THE CITY. IN FACT THERE WERE 15 DAYS DURING THE MONTH WHERE HIGH TEMPERATURES CLIMBED TO 80 DEGREES AND ABOVE.
May 24
MAY 24, 1925: COOL WEATHER SETTLED OVER NORTHERN ILLINOIS RESULTING IN TEMPERATURES AROUND 20 DEGREES BELOW NORMAL THROUGH THE 25TH. ON THIS DATE...CHICAGO RECORDED A HIGH OF 44 DEGREES...SETTING A LOW MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE RECORD. AT ROCKFORD THE LOW PLUMMETED TO 33 DEGREES...SETTING A LOW MINIMUM TEMPERATURE RECORD FOR THE DATE. TWO OTHER LOW TEMPERATURE RECORDS WERE SET AT ROCKFORD DURING THIS BRIEF COLD SNAP.
May 25
...CHICAGO... MAY 25, 1992: COOL WEATHER SETTLED OVER NORTHERN ILLINIOS CAUSING LOW TEMPERATURES TO FALL NEAR THE FREEZING MARK. ON THIS DATE... THE LOW BOTTOMED OUT AT 32 DEGREES. NOT ONLY DID THIS SET A LOW TEMPERATURE RECORD FOR THE DAY BUT WAS ALSO THE LATEST FREEZE IN CHICAGO'S RECORDED HISTORY.
...ROCKFORD... MAY 25, 1939: ROCKFORD RESIDENTS GOT A PREVIEW OF SUMMER AS THERE WERE FOUR DAYS AT THE END OF THE MONTH WHERE HIGH TEMPERATURES CLIMBED TO AT LEAST 90 DEGREES. ON THIS DATE...THE HIGH REACHED 92 DEGREES...SETTING A HIGH TEMPERATURE RECORD.
May 26
...CHICAGO... MAY 26, 1917: A F4 TORNADO MOVED EAST FROM NEAR MANHATTAN TO 2 MILES NORTHEAST OF CROWN POINT. DOZENS OF FARMS WERE HIT ALONG THE PATH... AND AT LEAST THREE FARM HOMES WERE SWEPT AWAY BETWEEN MANHATTAN AND MONEE. ANOTHER F4 TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN 6 MILES SOUTH OF CROWN POINT AND DEVASTATED A DOZEN FARMS. A TOTAL OF SEVEN PEOPLE DIED FROM THESE TWISTERS WITH A 120 INJURED.
...ROCKFORD... MAY 26, 1911: MAY OF 1911 SURE ENDED ON A WARM NOTE AS THE HIGH CLIMBED TO 92 DEGREES ON THE 26TH THROUGH THE 28TH. RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURES WERE SET ON THE 26TH AND THE 27TH. IN FACT MUCH OF THE MONTH RECORDED ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES...PLACING IT IN THE TOP 10 WARMEST MAYS ON RECORD.
May 27
MAY 27, 1992: AN UNUSUALLY COLD...CANADIAN HIGH PRESSURE SETTLED OVER NORTHERN ILLINOIS DURING THE LATTER PART OF THIS MONTH. ROCKFORD HAD A MORNING LOW OF 30 DEGREES...THE LATEST FREEZE ON RECORD FOR THE CITY. THIS IS ALSO THE RECORD LOW TEMPERATURE FOR THE DAY. ON THE OTHER HAND AT O'HARE...THE LOW FELL TO 33 DEGREES WHICH ESTABLISHED A RECORD LOW TEMPERATURE FOR THE DAY. A TOTAL OF NINE TEMPERATURE RECORDS WERE EITHER TIED OR BROKEN BETWEEN THE TWO CITIES DURING THIS COLD SNAP.
May 28
MAY 28, 1996: THUNDERSTORMS WITH EXTREMELY HEAVY RAINS MOVED THROUGH NORTHERN ILLINOIS ON THIS DATE. FLASH FLOODING WAS REPORTED IN SEVERAL COUNTIES. IN ROCKFORD...4.77 INCHES OF RAIN FELL...WITH DOPPLER RADAR RAINFALL ESTIMATES EXCEEDING FIVE INCHES IN JUST 8 HOURS OVER PORTIONS OF NORTH CENTRAL ILLINOIS. CREEKS IN DEKALB... WINNEBAGO AND BOONE COUNTIES QUICKLY ROSE OUT OF THEIR BANKS. AS MUCH AS TWO AND ONE-HALF INCHES OF RAIN IN LESS THAN ONE HOUR WAS REPORTED IN THE CITY OF DEKALB. THE HEAVY RAINFALL ALSO CAUSED MANY CREEKS TO OVERFLOW THEIR BANKS IN SOUTHERN COOK COUNTY.
May 29
...CHICAGO... MAY 29, 1983: SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS POUNDED PORTIONS OF NORTHEAST ILLINOIS...INJURING THREE PEOPLE. ONE INCH HAIL WAS REPORTED IN COOK AND DUPAGE COUNTIES WITH MANY TREES AND POWER LINES BLOWN DOWN. A F1 TORNADO STRUCK THE CITY OF CICERO IN COOK COUNTY... BLOWING A ROOF OFF AN APARTMENT BUILDING. A F0 TORNADO ALSO HIT THE CITY OF OAKBROOK NEAR CERMAK AND YORK ROADS. TREES WERE UPROOTED AND A CAR WAS OVERTURNED ON I-294.
...ROCKFORD... MAY 29, 1980: A SERIES OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS MOVED ACROSS NORTHWEST AND NORTH CENTRAL ILLINOIS BETWEEN 10:30 AM AND 1 PM. STRONG WINDS ASSOCIATED WITH THESE STORMS WERE REPORTED IN DEKALB COUNTY...WHERE 52 KNOT GUSTS WERE REPORTED.
May 30
MAY 30TH, 1934: CHICAGO AND ROCKFORD WERE EXPERIENCING A VERY HOT AND DRY MAY. TWO DAILY HIGH TEMPERATURE RECORDS WERE SET AT CHICAGO WHILE A TOTAL OF 12 DAILY TEMPERATURE RECORDS WERE SET AT ROCKFORD...11 FOR DAILY HIGH TEMPERATURES. BOTH STATIONS ALSO RECORDED ITS HIGHEST TEMPERATURE IN MAY ON THE 31ST WITH READINGS NEAR THE 100 DEGREE MARK. PRECIPITATION ONLY AMOUNTED TO 0.67 INCHES AT CHICAGO WHILE ROCKFORD RECORDED 0.68 INCHES OVER THE ENTIRE MONTH. THIS WAS THE 8TH WARMEST MAY ON RECORD AT CHICAGO AND THE 3RD DRIEST WHILE MAY OF 1934 GOES DOWN AS THE 3RD WARMEST MAY AT ROCKFORD AND THE 2ND DRIEST MAY IN THE CITY'S HISTORY.
May 31
MAY 31, 1985: ONE OF THE WORST DUST STORMS IN THE STATE'S HISTORY OCCURRED ACROSS NORTHERN ILLINOIS. WINDS WERE BETWEEN 30 TO 50 MPH AND GUSTING UP TO 70 MPH. VISIBILITY AVERAGED 1 TO 5 MILES BUT OUTLYING AREAS NEAR FARM FIELDS HAD LOCAL VISIBILITY LESS THAN 20 FEET. NUMEROUS ACCIDENTS WERE REPORTED WITH ONE PERSON KILLED AND 22 INJURED. SOIL EROSION LOSS WAS ESTIMATED AROUND THREE MILLION DOLLARS. POWER OUTAGES PLAGUED METROPOLITAN CHICAGO AT THE HEIGHT OF THE WINDSTORM IN THE AFTERNOON. IN ADDITION...FOUR PEDESTRIANS WERE INJURED IN DOWNTOWN CHICAGO WHEN HIGH WINDS HURLED CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS FROM A SKYSCRAPER ONTO MICHIGAN AVENUE.
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