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Look back at suburbs' year in weather - with a poem

The National Weather Service of Chicago posted a poem Wednesday to describe 2014's weather. Enjoy this whimsical look back at the best and the (mostly) worst of the year.

As we end 2014,

We give it a warm, yet cold, goodbye.

Reflecting on Mother Nature,

Humbled by its ever-changing sky!

The harshest winter in decades,

Kicked this past year off,

The pattern was persistent,

Defined as the Polar...Trough!

Every other day it snowed,

It seemed it never ever stopped.

When winter finished in MAY,

Over 80 inches we topped!

For us northern Illinoisans,

The year's start astounded!

On frozen Lake Michigan's shore,

The term "ChiBeria" was founded!

Spring did eventually arrive,

With big swings day to day,

In between were some hail events,

Golf ball to baseball size in May!

A wet pattern ruled in June,

Over 7 inches of total rain,

This moisture with the cool lake,

Made dense fog also a pain!

As that month came to an end,

Severe weather struck, if you recall,

From two successive derechos,

Spanning seven states in all!

This brought wind and tornadoes,

And many warnings were needed,

Reminding that Severe or Tornado,

All warnings should be heeded!

And then, did we have summer?

It seemed exceptionally brief!

But humidity was comfortable,

As many cool fronts gave relief!

A dry pattern now persists,

Though winter has tried to revive,

For instance the Halloween storm,

Brought waves to Lake Shore Drive!

November felt like winter,

Having 8 straight days of light snow,

And the earliest week on record,

Of staying 32 degrees or below!

Despite prolonged cloudiness,

Snow halted in December.

This is the least snowiest one,

That you or I now remember!

Here's the forecast for next year:

Just kidding, that is unforeseen!

For now, forecasting all of you,

A fun and healthy 2015!

  Snow drifts over Route 176 just west of Island Lake last winter. Blowing and drifting snow made many country roads icy. Paul Valade/pvalade@dailyherald.com
Snow blankets oak leaves still hanging from branches at LeRoy Oakes Forest Preserve in St. Charles. Courtesy of Valerie Blaine
  Wind blows snow across Plank Road just east of Route 47. Brian Hill/bhill@dailyherald.com
Peering out on the morning of Jan. 6 at 20 degrees below zero, Marty Michel found the wind had sculpted snow domes on flower pots waiting patiently for spring. courtesy of Marty Michel of Naperville
  Someone got a little creative with the icicles that were hanging from their home and built a ice fortress in the snow in Palatine. Mark Welsh/mwelsh@dailyherald.com
Big Brown, also known as #778M, an alpha male of the the Blacktail wolf pack in Yellowstone National Park on the North Road on the afternoon of Jan. 18. courtesy of Steve DeRose of Hawthorn Woods
A lone tree in a snow-covered farmer's field last winter. courtesy of Butch Law of Des Plaines
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