Fluke front is to blame for all this rain
Will it ever stop raining?
State climatologists and meteorologists say yes, but just not right now.
Experts say that's because the heavy August rainfall on northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin is a result of a fluke rogue high-pressure front roosting above the Midwest.
"If I could predict when the rain would stop, I would be making a lot of money," state climatologist Jim Angel said Thursday. "What is going on right now is unique. But, hopefully, some relief will be coming soon."
The front has stalled over northern Illinois, southern Wisconsin and Iowa, Angel said. That front has caused rain clouds from the Gulf of Mexico to back up on themselves and increase in strength.
What that means is when a storm hits, it is fully developed and capable of dumping a half-inch to three inches of water on already saturated ground.
"This type of thing usually happens every year over the Midwest, but it only stays for a couple of days," Angel said. "But, this front has stayed for about 10 days to two weeks."
The result has been record rainfall, sandbagging along the Fox and Des Plaines rivers and elsewhere, and some ominous fears about the potential for serious flooding in the days to come.
Samuel Shea, of the Midwest Climate Center in Champaign, said the northernmost Illinois counties -- including Lake and McHenry counties -- have been hardest hit.
In Antioch, for example, rainfall has been recorded on 18 of 23 days this month for a total of 11.23 inches, Shea said. That's just shy of the all-time record of 11.28 inches set in 1979.
"I'm pretty certain Antioch will have a new record by the end of the month," he said. "This is truly a strange month for rain."
Other northern Illinois towns are also treading water. Rockford has broken its August rainfall record with 14 inches of rain, and Harvard has recorded more than 15 inches. Algonquin has seen 12.5 inches this month.
To the south, the rain has not been as heavy, but still significant. O'Hare International Airport has recorded 7.27 inches of rain this month, while DuPage County towns have averaged 5 to 6 inches in August, Shea said.
National Weather Service meteorologists say the front is starting to break up and move on, but it is expected to leave at least one more heavy storm today.
"There's a Canadian high pressure system that should roll through over the weekend that will cause that front that's causing all the problems to move on," meteorologist Bill Nelson said. "But, sorry to say, the rain coming Friday will just aggravate any flooding problems along the Fox and Des Plaines rivers."