Chicago is known for its fluctuating weather that can go from warm and sunny one week to freezing cold and rainy the next. And while this certainly isn't out of the ordinary, the Windy City has still had its fair share of weather oddities that have pushed both sides to the extreme. Here are some of the most extreme and out-of-place weather events to hit Chicago:
Blizzard of '67
Ask any Chicago native over the age of 50 what the worst weather event to hit the city is, and you'll almost always hear about the Blizzard of 1967. The snow began falling at 5:02 a.m. and didn't stop until 10:10 a.m. the next day. The result was 23 inches of snow and the largest single snowfall in the city's history, a record that still stands today. The snowstorm stranded thousands, trapped cars and buses right where they stood on the streets, and closed schools for days. Oddly enough, just two days before the blizzard, temperatures hit a record 65 degrees.
Heat wave of 1995
Thursday, July 13, marked the official start of the Chicago heat wave of 1995, an event that would drag on for a week. On that day, the temperature was recorded at 106 degrees, but added humidity put the heat index over 120. Air conditioning wasn't as common as it is today, and energy use in the city caused power outages for tens of thousands of households. Within the days of the heat wave, 739 Chicagoans died of heat-related deaths, and thousands were hospitalized.
Chicago's deadliest tornado
Following the 1967 blizzard, extreme weather continued that year. On April 21, 1967, the a deadly tornado hit the Chicago area. The twister touched down in Palos Hills before it ripped through Oak Lawn. It then moved through the south Chicago neighborhoods before moving out to Lake Michigan. On the same day, at least 10 tornadoes in total hit north and northeastern Illinois, and 33 people were killed and many others were injured.
Lake Michigan's 25-foot waves
Lake Michigan is one of Chicago's main focal points and attractions, but sometimes that's not always a good thing. On October 20, 2011, 40-mph winds stirred up waves to 25 feet, knocking joggers and cyclists off the Lakeshore Drive paths and prompting a flood warning. To add insult to injury, the wild weather caused flight delays and knocked out power for 27,000 households, but the rare massive waves are still remembered the most.
Rachel Bogart provides an in-depth look at current environmental issues and local Chicago news stories. As a college student from the Chicago suburbs pursuing two science degrees, she applies her knowledge and passion to both topics to garner further public awareness.
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