30°F Drop Possible in Some Areas Close to Lake Michigan Shore
A “Pneumonia Front’ is expected to hit the lakefront and Chicagoland about 1:00 p.m. today. Temperatures at the lakefront could plunged suddenly from the 70’s through the 50’s and possibly to the 40’s right at the Lake Michigan shoreline. Fog is also forecast near the lake. Weather forecasters are not sure of the extent and intensity of the cold air push for inland areas.
Temperatures are expected to be back in the 70’s on Friday. Yesterday’s high of 81°F broke the previous record for the day, which was 77°F in 1995. Only two dates before March 14 have record temps 80°F or greater — March 3, 1974 (80°F) and March 12, 1990 (81°F).
Forecast temperatures related to ‘Pneumonia Front’ today …
[Forecast at 8:20 p.m. CST March 15, 2012]
Arlington Heights high 78°F down to 60°F after 1:00 p.m.
Barrington high 77°F — low 51° overnight
Bedford Park high 78°F with possibly no temperature drop.
Big Rock high 79°F with possibly no temperature drop.
Evanston high 66°F down to 51°F by 5:00 p.m.
Highland Park high 68°F dropping to 50°F by 4:00 p.m.
Joliet high near 80°F with possibly no temperature drop.
Lake Forest high 71° down to 53°F by 4:00 p.m.
Minooka high 81° with possibly no temperature drop.
Rockford high 75°F with possibly no drop.
Schaumburg high 78°F down to 60°F after 1:00 p.m.
Waukegan high 68°F down to 55°F by 2:00 p.m. — low 48°F overnight
Wheeling high 77° down to 55°F after 1:00 p.m.
A Pneumonia Front which was named by the Milwaukee Weather Bureau Office in the 1960’s are defined as Western Lake Michigan lake-modified cold fronts with temperature drops of 16°F or greater within one hour.
Pneumonia is not really likely from the one time short-term exposure.
Cook County has experienced a pneumonia front at least six times in the last 100 years …
May 13, 2011
April 21, 2010
June 1, 2009
April 25, 2009
May 26, 2008
June 6, 1967
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