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Skilling: Cooler nights, but warmer days heading into Labor Day weekend

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:22:16 GMT

A GORGEOUS 100% SUNNY DAY is the way we close out the month of August 2023 and the three month meteorological summer season---each noteworthy for their warmth.  While August finishes just 0.4-deg ABOVE NORMAL—that's still warm enough to average among the 22% warmest Augusts of the past 153 years.  And the June, June, August METEOROLOGICAL SUMMER seaon finishes among the top 20% warmest of the past 153 years—finishing with each month having posted a modest surplus and the season as a whole averaging 0.4-deg ABOVE NORMAL.It's worth noting that 7 of the past 8 months, monthly temps have finished ABOVE NORMAL—and 2023 as a whole comes in 2.1-deg above normal and is the 6th warmest year to date of the 153 on the books since official records began in Chicago back in 1871.BUT HERE'S ANOTHER EMERGING STORY.  WE'RE DRY-----VERY DRY!.  August, typically one of our wettest months, has seen has than 1/3 its normal rain.  The O'Hare observation site has tallied all ...

2 teens charged 6 months after 13-year-old boy shot, killed outside Gary church

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:22:16 GMT

GARY, Ill. — Two 17-year-olds face murder charges in connection with the gang-related death of a 13-year-old boy slain outside a church in Gary.The development comes six months after the shooting. Lake County, Indiana prosecutors allege Dahvee Brunson and Kriston Barbee, both of Gary, gunned down Orie Dodson on behalf of the 49th Avenue Boys Gang on Feb. 15. Murder charges include firearm enhancement and criminal gang enhancement, authorities added.Dahvee BrunsonKriston BarbeeSEE ALSO: Prosecutor asks Indiana State Police to investigate deaths of several dogs in truckProsecutors allege a dispute over a deceased gang member may have led to Dodson's death. The 17-year-olds face up to 150 years in prison if convicted. On Wednesday, Feb., 15., Gary Police Department officers were called to check the welfare of a victim, later identified as Dodson, around 12:15 p.m. in the 1300 block of Lincoln St.Arriving officers found the 13-year-old shot multiple times, police said. The Lake Cou...

Police locate missing 16-year-old girl

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:22:16 GMT

CHICAGO — Chicago police have located a missing 16-year-old girl who was last seen leaving for school Wednesday morning.She was last seen in the city's Belmont Craign neighborhood. 2 South Elgin HS students killed in semi crash: Police Police announced Thursday evening she had been located.

Pentagon releases new website on UFOs

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:22:16 GMT

(The Hill) – The Defense Department on Thursday released a new website that will provide official declassified information on UFOs, including pictures and videos, for the public to easily parse through. The website is the official page for the public to interact with All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO), a relatively new Pentagon office tasked with reviewing and analyzing UFOs. The site appears to be still under construction, but it can be found here. The Hill has reached out to the Defense Department for more information about when the website will go live. US has ‘downplayed’ the number of UFO sightings: Senator Hawley The U.S. government, which now refers to UFOs by the name of Unidentified Aerial Phenomenon (UAPs), has taken the presence of unknown flying objects more seriously in the past few years, as has Congress.In a Thursday release about the website, the Pentagon said it was "committed to transparency with the American people on AARO's work" on UAPs."This website ...

South Carolina woman recalls moment a tornado flipped her car during Idalia

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:22:16 GMT

GOOSE CREEK, S.C. (WCBD) – South Carolina resident Malaijah Smoke was driving home from work Wednesday afternoon when a weak tornado lifted her car into the air and dropped it onto another vehicle.The incident happened along US 52 as outer rain bands from then-Hurricane Idalia moved through the Lowcountry, sparking multiple tornado warnings through the afternoon. Texas high court allows law banning gender-affirming care for transgender minors to take effect “I see a lot of leaves falling. I see some winds starting but it wasn’t nothing too crazy," Smoke, who's five months pregnant, recalled. "It kind of became a blur at the moment, and then all I know is my car was lifted into the air and I’m literally dangling with my seatbelt."Mason Stewart was also traveling in the area at the time and captured the incident on video. You can see what appeared to be a tornado lift the vehicle into the air before flipping and sending it crashing down onto another car. ...

Blue supermoon photos: See images from around the world

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:22:16 GMT

(NEXSTAR) – A rare blue supermoon — the closest full moon of the year — dazzled stargazers Wednesday night.Saturn joined the celestial spectacle, visible alongside the moon, at least where skies were clear.According to In-the-Sky, this weekend will also present a unique viewing opportunity when Saturn reaches its closest point to Earth while directly opposite to the Sun, making it appear large and bright.This week's blue supermoon was the second full moon of August, thus the blue label. And it was unusually close to Earth, therefore a supermoon.The blue supermoon sets over the White Mountain National Forest at sunrise, Thursday, Aug. 31, 2023, in Carroll County, New Hampshire. The next blue superman won't occur until 2037. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)A rare Blue Supermoon rises over Lake Michigan as spectators watch from Chicago's 31st Street beach Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2023. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)A man watches from the upper deck of a baseball game between...

Multiple first responders on scene near the Arboretum, drivers should avoid area

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:22:16 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Multiple first responders were on the scene of an incident near Thursday near The Arboretum in northwest Austin, the Austin Police Department and Austin-Travis County EMS confirmed on Twitter.Shortly after 5 p.m., APD, medics and the Austin Fire Department responded to the 10000 block of Research Boulevard service road in the southbound lanes for the incident.Although it was not immediately clear what the incident was or how it occurred, officials said there was no immediate threat to the public.This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

Austin records hottest summer on record, driest in 113 years

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:22:16 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- For years, hot summers in Central Texas have been judged by comparison to 2011 -- Austin's hottest summer on record. But as meteorological summer ends at 11:59 p.m. Aug. 31, it turns out this summer was even hotter in some parts of town.Austin records hottest summer on recordWe averaged the hourly temperatures from Camp Mabry, Austin's official weather recording site, every hour since Jun. 1 when meteorological summer began. This summer was a tie for Austin's hottest summer on record.2023 ties as Austin's hottest summer on recordAt the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in southeastern Travis County, the period of record is shorter. But 2023 was by far the airport's hottest meteorological summer on record.2023 was Austin-Bergstrom Intl. Airport's hottest summer on record by farClimate change is heating up Austin summersAll of Austin's 10-hottest years on record have come since 1998, even though temperature records extend back to 1897. As the climate warms, Austi...

Hot, more humid Labor Day weekend

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:22:16 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Austin will wrap up its hottest summer on record Thursday night as meteorological summer ends at 11:59 p.m. Average day and night temperatures tied for the hottest summer on record at Camp Mabry, matching exactly the heat we experienced in 2011. Austin-Bergstrom Intl. Airport experienced its hottest summer on record by a wide margin. 2023 was Austin's hottest summer on record. What should we expect in September? Hot temperatures, plenty of sunshine and a relatively stagnant weather pattern continue Friday and Saturday. This will lead to continued higher than normal levels of pollution, triggering more Ozone Action Days.Consider taking the steps below to limit your pollution footprint.Ozone Action Day ThursdayHot, dry weather is in the forecast Saturday for the Texas football home opener, but a 10% chance of a late-day rain shower returns Sunday and Labor Day. Overall, hotter and drier than normal weather are expected for the first week of September. BLOG: Could ...

Texas congressman drafts legislation to connect Texas to national grids

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:22:16 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- On Thursday, Texas Congressman Greg Casar (D-Texas), said he was actively creating federal legislation to require Texas' electrical grid to connect to the national grids, according to a news release from Casar's office.“I am drafting federal legislation to connect Texas to the national electric grids,” Casar said in the news release. “Whether we’re in the middle of a heat wave or a winter storm, Texas should be able to keep the lights on. This legislation will help consumers, improve the economy, generate more clean power, and save lives.”The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), which operates the grid for a majority of the state, has requested Texans to conserve energy nearly everyday over the past week. ERCOT: ‘Tight’ Texas grid conditions expected for Wednesday evening About 90% or the state's electricity is run solely through the Texas grid, the release said. Because millions of Texans are not interconnected to the national grids, they are susceptibl...