Sunday, October 19, 2025

Fall rains return before big temperature tumble | WGN Weekly Climate Report | 19 October 2025

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Autumn Rainfall and Its Impact on the Environment

Finally, some much needed autumn rainfall. Yesterday about a half inch of rain and as of this writing we’ve gotten even more than that on this soggy Sunday morning.

We have been dry this fall– the last couple weeks notwithstanding. The beneficial rainfall on the 6th, 7th, and this weekend got both airport locales above the monthly averages to date.

But when you factor in our bone-dry September’s 30 days, we’re only at about half of expected rainfall.

Drought Conditions in Chicagoland

The dry fall weather is coming off a dry summer– and our last winter which felt pretty absent of significant snowfall. And it is showing up in our Drought Monitor that comes out every Thursday from the US Dept. of Agriculture.

We’ve got all of Chicagoland in some form of drought– but only the western part of Cook County and the western suburbs are in what’s considered “moderate drought”. The dry weather can dull fall colors on the trees and cause premature leaf drop– so hopefully this weekend’s rain is enough to boost our fall colors.

And many of our landscape plants and grass will want a good drink of water before the freeze arrives– it helps those plants survive the winter better. Downstate areas have even worse drought conditions in both Illinois and Indiana.

October Weather Patterns

October started off quite warm– with several days in the 80s– and even a couple where our suburbs got into the low 90s. The temps took a turn towards cooler after some needed soaking rains on the 6th and 7th– but cooler but still around average high temps for this time of year.

Historically, though while we can see some warmth in the fall and early winter months– we are past some historical milestones for latest in the year we’ve ever seen for key temperature benchmarks.

Lake Michigan Water Temperatures

Great Lakes water temps are slowly retreating. 63 degrees today on Chicago’s beaches. Water temps along the Chicago shore reached peak warmth in August when the lakefront water hit 77 degrees. That’s one degree warmer than all of last year. As of this weekend– the water temp along the Chicago shore is in the still somewhat swimmable upper 60s.

Our warm-ish lake water has a big impact on our fall weather. Water hangs onto heat much more effectively than air does– so the lake will stay warm even when the air starts to get cold. That combination can make for some big lake effect snow later this year– and in the fall, it can bring lake effect showers in rain form too. And there’s no lake ice– at least not yet.

Snow Coverage and Daylight

I can’t say the same about snow coverage. On this date last year we had about 5% of the ground covered across the lower 48 states. Already some spots in the Rockies seeing some snowfall with a temp downturn there. 1.8% of snow on the ground for Sunday.

October is technically one of our “snow season” months. But the average is only a trace of snow that doesn’t usually happen until the 30th. What we do lose a lot of in October is daylight. 81 minutes over the course of the 31-day period.


Upcoming Events

Things to mark on your calendar ahead in the coming weeks:

-Tuesday is our sunset past 6p for the rest of 2025.

-The Orion-id meteor showers peak on Tuesday and Wednesday. This is the dust from Halley’s comet that will be coming at us in the form of “shooting stars” in our night skies if you can get away from city lights and the cloud cover cooperates.

-We change our clocks back to standard time the Sunday after Halloween on November 2nd.

-Full Hunter Moon, which always follows the Harvest Moon– is on November 6th.

Enjoy!

Conclusion

In conclusion, the autumn rainfall is a welcome relief to the dry conditions in Chicagoland. The drought conditions are still present, but the rain has helped to alleviate some of the dryness. The lake Michigan water temperatures are slowly retreating, and the snow coverage is minimal. As we move into the later part of October, we can expect the days to get shorter and the temperatures to cool down.

FAQs

Q: What is the current drought condition in Chicagoland?

A: The current drought condition in Chicagoland is moderate, with the western part of Cook County and the western suburbs being the most affected.

Q: How does the lake Michigan water temperature affect the fall weather?

A: The lake Michigan water temperature has a big impact on the fall weather, as it can bring lake effect showers in rain form and big lake effect snow later in the year.

Q: What is the average snowfall in October?

A: The average snowfall in October is only a trace, and it usually doesn’t happen until the 30th.

Q: What is the Orion-id meteor shower?

A: The Orion-id meteor shower is the dust from Halley’s comet that will be coming at us in the form of “shooting stars” in our night skies.

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