NOAA National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office

SEPTEMBER 1
...CHICAGO... SEPTEMBER 1, 1989:  BETWEEN MIDNIGHT AND 6 AM...THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCED HEAVY RAIN ACROSS THE NORTHERN THIRD OF ILLINOIS. THERE WAS A TOTAL OF 2.33 INCHES RECORDED. MANY VIADUCTS...ROADWAYS...AND BASEMENTS WERE FLOODED. THE KENNEDY EXPRESSWAY EXTENSION TO O'HARE AIRPORT WAS BLOCKED AND IMPASSABLE BY TWO TO FIVE FEET OF WATER BETWEEN MIDNIGHT AND 3 AM.

...ROCKFORD... SEPTEMBER 1, 1959:  SEPTEMBER BEGAN WITHOUT A DROP OF RAIN. DROUGHT-LIKE CONDITIONS PERSISTED FOR THE NEXT 18 DAYS...UNTIL A MEAGER 0.02 INCHES OF RAIN FELL. UNTIL THE LATTER THIRD OF THE MONTH...SEPTEMBER 1959 LOOKED LIKE IT WOULD BREAK ALL RECORDS FOR THE DRIEST MONTH ON RECORD. HOWEVER...LOCALLY HEAVY THUNDERSTORMS DURING THE FINAL WEEK DUMPED SUFFICIENT AMOUNTS OF RAIN TO ACTUALLY GIVE A SURPLUS OF 0.60 INCHES FOR THE MONTH.

 

SEPTEMBER 2
SEPTEMBER 2, 1953:  THIS WAS THE SECOND DAY IN A ROW WHEN THE DAILY HIGH TEMPERATURE WAS 101 DEGREES IN CHICAGO. IT IS ALSO THE TENTH OF 11 CONSECUTIVE DAYS WITH A HIGH TEMPERATURE 90 DEGREES OR GREATER. DAILY HIGH TEMPERATURE RECORDS WERE SET OVER A SIX CONSECUTIVE DAY STRETCH. ROCKFORD WAS NOT SPARED EITHER...AS THE HIGH TEMPERATURE FOR THIS DATE WAS 101 DEGREES AS WELL. LIKE CHICAGO THIS WAS THE TENTH OF 11 CONSECUTIVE DAYS WITH A HIGH TEMPERATURE OF AT LEAST 90 DEGREES. DAILY HIGH TEMPERATURE RECORDS WERE SET IN A TWO DAY AND SEPARATE FOUR DAY STRETCH.

 

SEPTEMBER 3
...CHICAGO... SEPTEMBER 3, 1974:   COOL WEATHER SETTLED OVER NORTHERN ILLINOIS FOR THE START OF SEPTEMBER. FROM THE 2ND THROUGH THE 4TH...HIGH TEMPERATURES ONLY CLIMBED INTO THE 60S WHILE LOW TEMPERATURES FELL INTO THE UPPER 40S TO 50 DEGREES. ON THIS DATE...THE LOW FELL TO 47 DEGREES WHICH SET A NEW RECORD LOW.

...ROCKFORD... SEPTEMBER 3, 1941:  THIS WAS THE START OF A SOGGY SEPTEMBER IN ROCKFORD. A TOTAL OF 1.12 INCHES OF PRECIPITATION FELL ON THIS DATE WHICH SET A GREATEST PRECIPITATION RECORD. HOWEVER THIS WAS NOT THE ONLY DAY TO RECEIVE RAINFALL OF AT LEAST AN INCH...
WHICH RESULTED IN SEPTEMBER OF 1941 RANKING AS THE THIRD WETTEST SEPTEMBER ON RECORD WITH A TOTAL OF 10.26 INCHES.

 

SEPTEMBER 4
...CHICAGO... SEPTEMBER 4, 1983:  THE CITY OF CHICAGO WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF A THREE-DAY HEAT WAVE...AS HIGH TEMPERATURES REACHED INTO THE 90S. IN FACT ON THIS DATE...THE HIGH CLIMBED TO 95 DEGREES WHICH TIED WITH 1960 AND 1954 FOR THE HIGHEST TEMPERATURE RECORDED ON THE 4TH.

...ROCKFORD... SEPTEMBER 4, 1925:  THIS WAS THE FIRST OF A TWO CONSECUTIVE DAY HOT SPELL IN ROCKFORD WHERE HIGH TEMPERATURES REACHED INTO THE 100S. BOTH DAYS SET NEW HIGH TEMPERATURE RECORDS WHILE THE 101 DEGREES REACHED ON THE 4TH WAS THE HOTTEST DAY OF THE YEAR IN 1925.

 

SEPTEMBER 5
...CHICAGO... SEPTEMBER 5, 1969:  HEAVY THUNDERSTORMS BROUGHT FLOODING TO LOW AREAS IN THE NORTHWEST SUBURBS AND IN THE NORTHWEST SIDE OF CHICAGO. 1.28 INCHES WAS RECORDED IN A HALF HOUR PERIOD AT O'HARE.

...ROCKFORD... SEPTEMBER 5, 1983:  SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WITH HIGH WINDS MOVED ACROSS PORTIONS OF NORTHERN ILLINOIS DURING THE EVENING AND CONTINUED PAST MIDNIGHT. ROCKFORD REPORTED BUILDING DAMAGE BY STRONG WINDS SHORTLY BEFORE MIDNIGHT. GUSTS TO 52 MPH WERE REPORTED IN AREAS OF NORTHERN ILLINOIS.

 

SEPTEMBER 6
...CHICAGO... SEPTEMBER 6, 1954:  THE LABOR DAY WEEKEND WAS A HOT ONE THIS YEAR. ON THIS DATE THE THERMOMETER REACHED 97 DEGREES...THE HOTTEST LABOR DAY ON RECORD.

...ROCKFORD... SEPTEMBER 6, 1922:  IT WAS THE START OF A THREE CONSECUTIVE DAY HEAT WAVE WHERE HIGH TEMPERATURES CLIMBED TO AT LEAST THE 100 DEGREE MARK. ON THIS DATE...THE HIGH REACHED 102 DEGREES...SETTING A NEW HIGH TEMPERATURE RECORD. THESE THREE DAYS WERE ALSO THE HOTTEST DURING THE YEAR.

 

SEPTEMBER 7
...CHICAGO... SEPTEMBER 7, 1998:  THUNDERSTORM WINDS CAUSED DAMAGE AROUND THE INTERSECTION OF WOLF ROAD AND 159TH STREET IN ORLAND PARK. TWO STOPLIGHTS WERE BLOWN DOWN AND THREE POWER POLES WERE SNAPPED. SLATE SHINGLES FROM AN OLD HISTORIC SCHOOLHOUSE ON 159TH WERE BLOWN AROSS THE ROAD. SOME OF THE SHINGLES BROKE WINDOWS OR BECAME IMBEDDED IN A TRUCK OR VAN. A BANK BUILDING ALSO HAD SOME ROOF DAMAGE AND A METAL POLE BUILDING NORTHEAST OF THE INTERSECTION WAS DAMAGED.

...ROCKFORD... SEPTEMBER 7, 1939:  A TERRIBLE HEAT WAVE WAS OCCURRING ACROSS NORTHERN ILLINOIS. ROCKFORD REACHED 103 DEGREES, THE HIGHEST TEMPERATURE EVER RECORDED DURING THE MONTH OF SEPTEMBER IN THE CITY'S HISTORY.

 

SEPTEMBER 8
...CHICAGO... SEPTEMBER 8, 1985:  SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS MOVED ACROSS NORTHEAST ILLINOIS...ACCOMPANIED BY DAMAGING WINDS AND INTENSE LIGHTNING. IN AURORA...A LARGE TREE WAS BLOWN ACROSS AND DAMAGED TWO GARAGES. HIGH WINDS ALSO SWAMPED MANY SMALL BOATS IN WAUKEGAN HARBOR. AT 1:40 PM...LIGHTNING STRUCK A WOODEN SHELTER AT A GOLF COURSE IN MCHENRY COUNTY IN WHICH EIGHT GOLFERS HAD SOUGHT REFUGE. ONE GOLFER WAS KILLED AND SEVEN OTHERS INJURED...TWO SERIOUSLY. AT 2:40 PM...LIGHTNING STRUCK A SOCCER GOAL POST IN MCHENRY COUNTY AND TRAVELED ABOUT 25 FEET ONTO THE PLAYING FIELD. ONE SOCCER PLAYER WAS KILLED AND ANOTHER INJURED.

...ROCKFORD... SEPTEMBER 8, 1986:  THIS WAS THE SECOND NIGHT IN A ROW WHERE THE LOW TEMPERATURE FELL TO 37 DEGREES. BOTH DAYS ALSO SET NEW LOW TEMPERATURE RECORDS.

 

SEPTEMBER 9
SEPTEMBER 9, 1979:  THIS WAS THE EIGHTH DAY OF 29 CONSECUTIVE DAYS WHEN NO MEASURABLE RAIN FELL IN CHICAGO. SEPTEMBER 1ST RECEIVED 0.01 INCHES OF RAIN...THE ONLY MEASURABLE PRECIPITATION FOR THE ENTIRE MONTH AND MAKING IT THE DRIEST SEPTEMBER ON RECORD FOR THE CITY. DURING THIS MONTH THE CITY OF ROCKFORD WAS NOT SPARED EITHER. THEY RECEIVED ONLY 0.05 INCHES OF RAIN...THE DRIEST MONTH EVER IN ROCKFORD'S HISTORY.

 

SEPTEMBER 10
...CHICAGO... SEPTEMBER 10, 1983:  FOR A SECOND DAY A NEW RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE WAS SET IN CHICAGO...WITH A TEMPERATURE OF 95 DEGREES. THERE WAS A THREE DAY HEAT WAVE GOING ON ACROSS NORTHERN ILLINOIS WITH DAILY READINGS ABOUT 15 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL.

...ROCKFORD... SEPTEMBER 10, 1917:  COOL FALL WEATHER SETTLED OVER NORTHERN ILLINOIS CAUSING LOW TEMPERATURES TO DIP TO 37 AND 34 DEGREES ON THE 10TH AND THE 11TH RESPECTIVELY. NEW RECORD LOW TEMPERATURES WERE SET ON BOTH DATES.

 

SEPTEMBER 11
SEPTEMBER 11, 2000:  A LINE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPED DURING THE EARLY AFTERNOON AND ROLLED ACROSS MUCH OF NORTHERN ILLINOIS. THESE STORMS WERE WELL IN ADVANCE OF A STRONG COLD FRONT APPROACHING FROM THE CENTRAL PLAINS. THESE STORMS MOVED EAST-NORTHEAST AT 40 TO 45 MPH WITH SEVERAL COMMUNITIES REPORTING HEAVY RAINS...DANGEROUS LIGHTNING... STRONG WINDS...AND WIDESPREAD HAIL. AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IN WILMETTE ENTIRE FIRST FLOOR WAS FLOODED WHEN 2.75 INCHES OF RAIN FELL IN A VERY SHORT TIME. SCHOOL WAS CANCELED THE NEXT DAY DUE TO CLEANUP. VERY HEAVY RAINS CAUSED URBAN FLOODING THROUGHOUT BERWYN WITH ALL MAJOR INTERSECTIONS UNDER WATER FOR NEARLY FOUR HOURS. BY 5 PM...WINNEBAGO COUNTY AUTHORITIES REPORTED THAT NEARLY 35,000 COMED CUSTOMERS WERE WITHOUT POWER...WITH SOME NOT BEING RESTORED UNTIL THE FOLLOWING MORNING. A SECOND LINE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPED ACROSS THE SAME AREA IN THE EVENING...PRODUCING VERY STRONG WINDS WHICH CAUSED WIDESPREAD TREE AND ROOF DAMAGE.

 

SEPTEMBER 12
...CHICAGO... SEPTEMBER 12, 1951:  A STRONG COLD FRONT PASSED THROUGH THE AREA DURING THE EVENING HOURS CAUSING THE TEMPERATURE TO DROP FROM 85 DEGREES TO 69 DEGREES IN A HALF HOUR. HEAVY RAIN ACCOMPANIED THIS FRONT WHICH FLOODED SOME BASEMENTS AND UNDERPASSES TEMPORARILY. STRONG WINDS WITH GUSTS TO 45 MPH CAUSED A GYMNASIUM ROOF TO BLOW OFF IN LAGRANGE CAUSING 35,000 DOLLARS IN DAMAGE. ONE PERSON WAS KILLED IN A TRAILER HOME IN WORTH BY A PLANK THAT WAS BLOWN INTO THE TRAILER BY THE STRONG WINDS.

...ROCKFORD... SEPTEMBER 12, 1961:  REMNANTS OF TROPICAL STORM CARLA BROGHT HEAVY RAINS AS A TOTAL OF 7.11 INCHES FELL ON THE 12TH AND 13TH. THIS TURNED AN ANNUAL ACCUMULATED DEFICIENCY OF 6.14 INCHES INTO AN> EXCESS OF 0.41 INCHES AT MONTHS END AND RESULTED IN SEPTEMBER OF 1961 GOING DOWN AS THE WETTEST SEPTEMBER ON RECORD.

 

SEPTEMBER 13
...CHICAGO... SEPTEMBER 13, 1890:  CHICAGO SAW CHILLY FALL-LIKE WEATHER AS THE HIGH ON THIS DATE ONLY REACHED 59 DEGREES WHILE THE LOW FELL TO 39 DEGREES. THE AVERAGE TEMPERATURE OF 49 DEGREES WAS 16 DEGREES BELOW NORMAL AND THIS LOW SET A LOW TEMPERATURE RECORD THAT STILL STANDS TODAY.

...ROCKFORD... SEPTEMBER 13, 1975:  THIS MORNINGS LOW TEMPERATURE DROPPED TO 32 DEGREES IN ROCKFORD. THIS IS THE EARLIEST FREEZING TEMPERATURE FOR THE CITY. THE NORMAL TIME ROCKFORD WILL EXPERIENCE THE FIRST FREEZE IS ON OCTOBER 7TH.

 

SEPTEMBER 14
...CHICAGO... SEPTEMBER 14, 1961:  REMANENTS OF HURRICANE CARLA PASSED JUST SOUTH OF CHICAGO AND DUMPED 2.63 INCHES OF RAIN IN AN EIGHT HOUR PERIOD WITH TWO INCHES OCCURRING IN A THREE HOUR PERIOD. SOME FLOODING TO BASEMENTS...VIADUCTS...AND STREAMS RESULTED FROM THIS SYSTEM. BESIDES THIS DELUGE...RAINFALL IN EXCESS OF ONE INCH OCCURRED ON EIGHT OTHER DAYS...MAKING SEPTEMBER OF 1961 THE WETTEST SEPTEMBER IN RECORDED HISTORY.

...ROCKFORD... SEPTEMBER 14, 1928:  A F4 TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN EIGHT MILES SOUTHWEST OF TOWN AND TRAVELED ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST PART OF TOWN. THIS TORNADO DAMAGED 30 BLOCKS AT ROCKFORD. MOST OF THE EIGHT DEATHS...40 INJURIES AND 1.2 MILLION DOLLARS OF DAMAGE OCCURRED IN THE DESTRUCTION OF A THREE-STORY CHAIR FACTORY. THE FACTORY WAS UNROOFED AND SOME WALLS WERE BLOWN OUT JUST BEFORE THE UPPER FLOORS COLLAPSED INTO THE BUILDING. THREE BOYS WERE KILLED IN A GARAGE A MILE FROM THE FACTORY.

 

SEPTEMBER 15
SEPTEMBER 15, 1939:  THE HEAT WAVE OF SEPTEMBER 1939 WAS WINDING DOWN. RECORD SETTING TEMPERATURES OCCURRED FOR THREE CONSECUTIVE DAYS IN BOTH CHICAGO AND ROCKFORD. ON THIS DATE CHICAGO CLIMBED TO 99 DEGREES WHILE ROCKFORD REACHED 102 DEGREES. THIS IS THE LATEST A READING OF 100 DEGREES OR MORE WAS RECORDED FOR THE CITY.

 

SEPTEMBER 16
...CHICAGO... SEPTEMBER 16, 1986:  A WOMAN WINDSURFING ON LAKE MICHIGAN DURING HIGH WIND AND WAVE CONDITIONS DROWNED JUST EAST OF EVANSTON.

...ROCKFORD... SEPTEMBER 16, 1931:  THIS WAS A WARM SEPTEMBER FOR ROCKFORD AS HIGH TEMPERATURES IN THE 90S OCCURRED ON NINE DAYS...WITH SIX OF THEM OCCURING FROM THE 8TH THROUGH THE 13TH. THE HIGH CLIMBED TO 94 DEGREES ON THIS DATE...SETTING A HIGH TEMPERATURE RECORD. THE AVERAGE TEMPERATURE FOR THE MONTH CAME IN AT 69.9 DEGREES... WHICH IS THE THIRD WARMEST SEPTEMBER ON RECORD.

 

SEPTEMBER 17
...CHICAGO... SEPTEMBER 17, 1955:  CHICAGO WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF A 5 DAY HEAT WAVE AS THE TEMPERATURE REACHED 93 DEGREES ON THIS DATE. DURING THIS HEAT WAVE TEMPERATURES WERE 10 TO 15 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL... WITH RECORDS BEING SET ON FOUR CONSECUTIVE DAYS.

...ROCKFORD... SEPTEMBER 17, 1973:  THIS WAS THE END OF A TWO DAY COLD STREAK AS DAILY HIGHS FOR THE 16TH AND 17TH ONLY REACHED 56 AND 55 DEGREES RESPECTIVELY. BOTH OF THESE SET TEMPERATURE RECORDS FOR LOWEST MAXIMUM TEMPERATURES...AND WERE ONLY A FEW DEGREES WARMER THAN THE AVERAGE MINIMUM TEMPERATURE.

 

SEPTEMBER 18
...CHICAGO... SEPTEMBER 18, 1886:  TWENTY PERSONS WERE INJURED WHEN A TORNADO MOVED NORTHEAST ALONG THE DES PLAINES RIVER...HITTING JOLIET SHORTLY AFTER 7 PM. TWENTY HOMES...SEVERAL BARNS...TWO FACTORIES AND A SCHOOL WERE DAMAGED OR DESTROYED. A BRIDGE ON MONROE STREET WAS MOVED ALMOST INTACT FOR TWO BLOCKS. BALL LIGHTNING WAS SAID TO HAVE BORED HOLES IN WALLS. THE LOUD ROAR WARNED RESIDENTS. A CHILD MAY HAVE DIED FROM INJURIES.

...ROCKFORD... SEPTEMBER 18, 1938:  THIS WAS THE FIRST OF A TWO DAY COLD SPELL IN THE ROCKFORD AREA AS HIGH TEMPERATURES ONLY CLIMBED TO 56 DEGREES ON THE 18TH AND 51 ON THE 19TH. BOTH OF THESE DAYS SET LOW MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE RECORDS WHICH STILL STAND TODAY.

 

SEPTEMBER 19
...CHICAGO... SEPTEMBER 19, 1997:  A MAN SUFFERED MINOR INJURIES WHEN HE WAS STRUCK BY LIGHTNING WHILE CHANGING A TIRE IN A SCHOOL PARKING LOT IN CARPENTERSVILLE. ABOUT A HALF HOUR LATER...A 13 YEAR OLD BOY WAS CRITICALLY INJURED WHEN HE WAS STRUCK BY LIGHTNING WHILE PLAYING SOCCER AT GAGE PARK IN CHICAGO.

...ROCKFORD... SEPTEMBER 19, 1929:  THE CITY OF ROCKFORD EXPERIENCED AN EARLY TASTE OF WINTER AS THE LOW FELL TO 34 DEGREES. THIS WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF A THREE DAY PERIOD WHERE READINGS IN THE 30S WERE OBSERVED...AND TWO LOW TEMPERATURE RECORDS WERE EITHER TIED OR SET.

 

SEPTEMBER 20
...CHICAGO... SEPTEMBER 20, 1967:  STRONG THUNDERSTORMS PASSED THROUGH THE AREA DURING THE EVENING DUMPING HEAVY RAIN. AMOUNTS AROUND THE AREA WERE GENERALLY MORE THAN AN INCH. A TORNADO STRUCK ELK GROVE VILLAGE WHERE 16 HOMES WERE DAMAGED.

...ROCKFORD... SEPTEMBER 20, 1920:  THE LATE SEPTEMBER HEAT WAVE OF 1920 CONTINUED TO BREAK RECORD TEMPERATURES AT ROCKFORD. THE MERCURY CLIMBED TO 92 DEGREES ON THIS DATE...WHICH IS 21 DEGREES WARMER THAN NORMAL. MOST OF THE MONTH HAD ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES...AND IS TIED FOR THE 8TH HOTTEST SEPTEMBER ON RECORD. SIX HIGH TEMPERATURE RECORDS FROM THIS MONTH STILL STAND TODAY.

 

SEPTEMBER 21
SEPTEMBER 21, 1973: THUNDERSTORMS THAT MOVED ACROSS NORTHERN ILLINIOS DURING THE AFTERNOON...PRODUCED LIGHTNING THAT STRUCK POWER LINES LEAVING 4,000 PEOPLE IN WAUKEGAN WITHOUT POWER. LIGHTNING ALSO CAUSED POWER BLACKOUTS IN A NUMBER OF TOWNS... AND HELPED INITIATE SEVERAL FIRES IN THE AREA. LIGHTNING ALSO SET OFF A FIRE IN ROCKFORD RESULTING IN THREE DEATHS. LARGE HAIL ACCOMPANIED THESE STORMS AS THREE INCH DIAMETER HAIL CAUSED SOME CROP AND PROPERTY DAMAGE IN ROCHELLE.

 

SEPTEMBER 22
...CHICAGO... SEPTEMBER 22, 1995:  THE CHICAGO AREA WAS WAKING UP TO TEMPERATURES TWENTY DEGREES BELOW NORMAL THIS MORNING. AS THE THERMOMETER DROPPED TO 32 DEGREES...THE CITY EXPERIENCED THE EARLIEST FREEZING TEMPERATURE ON RECORD FOR A SEASON.  THE NORMAL TIME CHICAGO WILL EXPERIENCE THE FIRST FREEZE IS ON OCTOBER 15TH.

...ROCKFORD... SEPTEMBER 22, 1974:  FREEZING TEMPERATURES WERE RECORDED IN THE NORTHERN PART OF THE STATE. TEMPERATURES FELL BELOW FREEZING FOR THREE CONSECUTIVE NIGHTS...DAMAGING CROPS THROUGOUT THE STATE. ON THE NIGHT OF THE 22ND...THE FROST KILLED ALMOST ALL THE SOYBEAN CROP AND 40 PERCENT OF THE CORN CROP NORTH OF INTERSTATE 80. TOTAL STATEWIDE DAMAGE WAS ESTIMATED BETWEEN 200 AND 400 MILLION.

 

SEPTEMBER 23
...CHICAGO... SEPTEMBER 23, 1961:  NORTHERN ILLINOIS WAS UNDER A WEATHER PATTERN THAT BROUGHT A LOT OF RAIN TO THE AREA. RAINFALL IN EXCESS OF ONE INCH FELL ON FIVE DAYS WITH THREE DAYS RECORDING OVER TWO INCHES...INCLUDING THE 2.09 INCHES THAT FELL ON THIS DATE. FOUR GREATEST PRECIPITATION RECORDS WERE ESTABLISHED DURING THE MONTH. CHICAGO ENDED UP FINISHING THE MONTH WITH 14.17 INCHES OF RAIN...THE WETTEST SEPTEMBER ON RECORD AND THE SECOND WETTEST MONTH EVER FOR THE CITY.

...ROCKFORD... SEPTEMBER 23, 1913:  ALTHOUGH SEPTEMBER STARTED OFF WITH HOT SUMMER LIKE CONDITIONS...FALL CERTAINLY MADE ITS MARK AS THE HIGH FAILED TO CLIMB PAST THE 50S FROM THE 21ST THROUGH THE 23RD. ON THIS DATE...A READING OF 54 DEGREES WAS RECORDED WHICH SET A LOW MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE RECORD. ANOTHER RECORD WAS SET ON THE 22ND...WHERE THE HIGH ONLY CLIMBED TO 47 DEGREES.

 

SEPTEMBER 24
...CHICAGO... SEPTEMBER 24, 1977:  AROUND 1 PM...LIGHTNING HIT TWO OIL TANKS. DEBRIS FROM THE EXPLOSION HIT AND IGNITED A THIRD TANK... RESULTING IN A BLAST THAT COULD BE FELT TEN MILES AWAY. SMOKE FROM THE BLAZE DRIFTED OVER CHICAGO AND LAKE MICHIGAN.

...ROCKFORD... SEPTEMBER 24, 1986:  STRONG STORMS MOVED ACROSS NORTH CENTRAL ILLINOIS DURING THE EVENING...BRINGING HEAVY RAIN AND STRONG WINDS. 3.26 INCHES OF RAIN FELL AT ROCKFORD...SETTING A GREATEST PRECIPITATION RECORD FOR THIS DATE.

 

SEPTEMBER 25
...CHICAGO... SEPTEMBER 25, 1928:  THIS DATE HAS THE HONOR AS BEING THE EARLIEST TIME IN A FALL SEASON THAT SNOW FELL ACROSS CHICAGO. ONLY A TRACE OF SNOWFALL WAS RECORDED...AND IT MELTED QUICKLY AS THE HIGH TEMPERATURE REACHED 50 DEGREES. THERE WAS ALSO A TRACE OF SNOW TO FALL ON THIS DATE IN 1942.

...ROCKFORD... SEPTEMBER 25, 1972:  WHILE THE HIGH ON THIS DATE REACHED 78 DEGREES...THE LOW ONLY FELL TO 69. THIS ENDED UP SETTING A HIGHEST MINIMUM TEMPERATURE RECORD. INTERESTINGLY LOW TEMPERATURES IN THE 40S OCCURRED ON THE NEXT TWO DAYS.

 

SEPTEMBER 26
...CHICAGO... SEPTEMBER 26, 1986:  TWO TO FOUR INCHES OF RAIN FELL OVER A FOUR HOUR SPAN DURING THE OVERNIGHT HOURS CAUSING WIDESPREAD STREET FLOODING IN LAKE AND MCHENRY COUNTIES. HOWEVER ANOTHER THREE TO FOUR INCHES FELL IN TWO HOURS ACROSS THE SAME AREA. SEVERE URBAN FLOODING OCCURRED...ESPECIALLY IN MUNDELEIN...ROUND LAKE BEACH... AND LIBERTYVILLE. WATER ROSE SO RAPIDLY IN A LAGOON ADJACENT TO A RESTAURANT IN LIBERTYVILLE THAT IT PUSHED IN A PLATE GLASS WINDOW AND FLOODED THE RESTAURANT TO A DEPTH OF 8 FEET. EMPLOYEES AND DINERS FLED JUST AHEAD OF THE RISING WATERS. FLASH FLOODING IN ROUND LAKE BEACH PUT A THREE BLOCK AREA OF TOWN UNDER WATER... 6 FEET DEEP IN SOME PLACES...AND FORCED THE EVACUATION OF 70 RESIDENTS. ONE TO TWO INCHES OF RAIN IN A HALF HOUR SWAMPED MOST EXPRESSWAYS IN METROPOLITAN CHICAGO...BRIEFLY COVERING LOW PLACES WITH 1 TO 3 FEET OF WATER. THE EVENING RUSH HOUR WAS A DISASTER.

...ROCKFORD... SEPTEMBER 26, 1926:  IT FELT MORE LIKE LATE FALL IN ROCKFORD AS THE LOW PLUMMETED TO 26 DEGREES. THIS SET A RECORD LOW TEMPERATURE FOR THE 26TH AND WAS THE COLDEST TEMPERATURE RECORDED DURING THE MONTH.

 

SEPTEMBER 27
...CHICAGO... SEPTEMBER 27, 1936:  A TOTAL OF 1.33 INCHES OF RAIN FELL AT CHICAGO ON THIS DATE SETTING A GREATEST PRECIPITATION RECORD. HOWEVER THIS WAS ONE FOUR DAYS WHERE PRECIPITATION AMOUNTS GREATER THAN AN INCH WAS RECORDED...LEAVING SEPTEMBER OF 1936 AS THE THIRD WETTEST SEPTEMBER ON RECORD WITH A MONTHLY TOTAL OF 8.97 INCHES.

...ROCKFORD... SEPTEMBER 27, 1986:  THIS WAS TOWARD THE END OF A STRING OF EIGHT DAYS WHERE LOW TEMPERATURES IN THE 60S WERE RECORDED. ON THIS DATE...THE LOW ONLY FELL TO 66 DEGREES...SETTING A HIGH MINIMUM TEMPERATURE RECORD. THERE WERE TWO OTHER HIGH MINIMUM TEMPERATURE RECORDS SET DURING THIS PERIOD AS WELL.

 

SEPTEMBER 28
SEPTEMBER 28, 1942:  IT WAS A COLD START IN NORTHERN ILLINOIS AS THE LOW TEMPERATURE DROPPED TO 29 DEGREES IN CHICAGO AND 24 DEGREES AT ROCKFORD. NOT ONLY DID BOTH STATIONS SET LOW MINIMUM TEMPERATURE RECORDS ON THE 28TH BUT ARE ALSO THE COLDEST TEMPERATURES EVER RECORDED IN SEPTEMBER FOR BOTH CITIES.

 

SEPTEMBER 29
SEPTEMBER 29, 1997:  STRONG LOW PRESSURE OVER THE UPPER GREAT LAKES BROUGHT STRONG WINDS TO NORTHERN ILLINOIS DURING THE AFTERNOON. THE WINDS PEAKED BETWEEN 2 PM AND 4 PM. SOME PEAK GUSTS INCLUDE: 53 MPH IN CAROL STREAM...52 MPH IN AURORA...49 MPH AT THE NWS FORECAST OFFICE IN ROMEOVILLE...47 MPH AT O'HARE...47 MPH AT WOODSTOCK...AND 45 MPH AT ROCKFORD. THESE WINDS DIED DOWN DURING THE EVENING. THESE STRONG WINDS BLEW DOWN NUMEROUS TREE LIMBS AND A FEW LARGE TREES THROUGHOUT NORTHERN ILLINOIS. THE FALLING LIMBS KNOCKED OUT POWER TO OVER 40,000 CUSTOMERS. A TREE FELL ON A POLICE CAR IN BARRINGTON HILLS BUT THE OFFICER IN THE CAR WAS NOT INJURED.

 

SEPTEMBER 30
SEPTEMBER 30, 1971:  IT FELT MORE LIKE SUMMER THAN FALL IN NORTHERN ILLINOIS AS A HIGH TEMPERATURE OF 92 DEGREES WAS RECORDED AT BOTH CHICAGO AND ROCKFORD. A LOW TEMPERATURE OF 69 DEGREES WAS REPORTED AT CHICAGO AND 62 DEGREES AT ROCKFORD. THIS LED TO BOTH STATIONS SETTING HIGH MAXIMUM AND MINIMUM TEMPERATURE RECORDS.