IL State Climatologist Says, No New Record!

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHICAGO/ROMEOVILLE IL
145 PM CST THU JAN 15 2009

LOW TEMPERATURE REPORTS ACROSS NORTHERN ILLINOIS AND NORTHWEST INDIANA THIS MORNING…

***NO NEW STATE RECORD FOR ILLINOIS***

EARLIER TODAY THE AUTOMATED OBSERVING STATION AT THE ROCHELLE ILLINOIS AIRPORT IN SOUTHEASTERN OGLE COUNTY REGISTERED A TEMPERATURE OF -37 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT.  THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN A NEW STATE LOW TEMPERATURE RECORD.  HOWEVER…UPON INVESTIGATION…THE ILLINOIS STATE CLIMATOLOGIST FOUND THAT THE AUTOMATED EQUIPMENT HAD
MALFUNCTIONED AND WAS READING 14 DEGREES TOO LOW.  THIS HAS BEEN CORRECTED AND THE SITE IS NOW REPORTING A REPRESENTATIVE TEMPERATURE.

AS A RESULT…THE ALL TIME LOW TEMPERATURE RECORD FOR ILLINOIS
REMAINS -36 DEGREES SET AT CONGERVILLE ILLINOIS ON THE MORNING OF JANUARY 5 1999.

State Record Low for Illinois?

Here are the 7:00am observations from Illinois:

NORTH CENTRAL ILLINOIS

CITY           SKY/WX    TMP DP  RH WIND       PRES   REMARKS
ROCKFORD       CLEAR    -15 -22  70 W10       30.57R WCI -35
FREEPORT*      CLEAR    -18 -26  67 W6        30.55R WCI -33
ROCHELLE*      PTCLDY   -37 -43  73 SW5       30.57R WCI -53
DE KALB*       PTCLDY   -17 -25  69 W8        30.52R WCI -35
PERU*          PTCLDY   -17 -24  70 W12       30.60R WCI -38

That would beat out the state record low temperature of  36 degrees below zero at Congerville just east of Peoria set on January 5, 1999. 

It is my understanding that any bias that an accurate themometer has will be a WARM bias, not a cold one.  You can see the hourlies here:  http://www.weather.gov/data/obhistory/KRPJ.html

Interesting!

A Couple of Record Cold Days Possible

Forecast Sfc Map Valid 6 AM Thursday

(Thursday, January 15, 2009) – A couple of near record cold days are staring us in the face.  Arctic high pressure is settling over Mid-America.   Highs today across West Tennessee will range from 15 to 20º.  The record cold maximum for this date is 19 set in 1997.  Factor in the wind of 10 to 15 mph and wind chill readings will be between 5 below and 5 above zero today.  A wind chill advisory is in effect for the northern half of West TN until 10AM today.

The high will settle over the area tonight overnight lows are expected to be between zero to 5 above zero.  Tonight’s record low temperature is -2º.  Winds of 5 to 10 mph will shove the wind chill readings to as low as 7 below zero.  A wind chill advisory is in effect tonight though 9 AM Friday for all of West TN.

Another record cold day is possible on Friday.  Forecasted high of 22 will be just beat the record of 23 set 44 years ago (1965).  Morning wind chills will remain dangerous between -2º and +4º.

The arctic stranglehold will relax to start the weekend.  After Friday night lows in the teens, Saturday should rise above freezing.