Two rounds of severe thunderstorms rolled through Chicago yesterday, causing damage throughout the area including 1,100 fallen trees and many broken windows. As of this afternoon, tens of thousands are still without power. The first round of storms moved through Chicago around 4:30 p.m. with the later storm hitting around 9 p.m. Strong winds clocked in around 70-77 mph in the first storm left their mark on the buildings downtown. Although no one was injured, several windows at the Sears Willis Tower blew out. Chicago Battalion Chief Michael Gubricky reported that "a window on the 29th floor in an air conditioning mechanical room and a window in an unoccupied office on the 25th floor blew out," in addition to a window in an unoccupied offices on the 12th and 28th floors cracking. One office worker sums up his experience inside the Willis Tower during the storm: more ›

The state of Illinois received a grim reminder that tornado season is in full swing as four tornadoes were confirmed in central and downstate Illinois last night, striking in or near the towns of Peoria, Streator, Dwight and Kankakee, and a potential fifth tornado, near Elmwood, has yet to be confirmed. Of the four confirmed tornadoes, it appears that the damage was strongest in Streator. One bystander, Eddie Lavallie, noted split trees and leveled houses. Looking at all of the damage and debris, Lavallie described Streator to be a "war zone...The city is leveled." Additionally, National Weather Service meteorologist Stephen Rodriguez reported that there were a handful of people trapped inside their homes and phone lines being down in Streator. A few dozen injuries have been reported from the storms but as of this morning, there were no reports of fatalities from the storms in Illinois (at least five fatalities were reported in northwest Ohio). more ›

Big surprise — the weather is going to be wildly unpredictable on and around Thanksgiving. Holiday travel will most likely be ludicrously difficult for the thousands of weary travelers coming and going in the Midwest via plane, train and automobile. According to Tom, we can expect rain as the week goes on. The rain will probably change to snow on Thanksgiving eve following a low pressure storm that may (or may not?) be moving northeasterly... more ›

Remember last year when you all got your collective tights in a wad over speculation that Goose Island was being bought by Anheuser-Busch? It's nice to have some hometown pride, but in the world of brewing it's also hard to find a major beer company that isn't involved with a craft brewery in some fashion. It could be a stake in the company. It could be the use of a major beer group's distribution network to market and sell their product. But the days of a small brewery sticking with a small distributor are largely a thing of the past. more ›

Yesterday we walked outside and couldn't believe our senses. We walked back inside. We came back out and - behold! - it really was sunny and mild! We had almost forgotten how awesome fall could be. We even held out some hope for the trick-or-treaters today. more ›

Even though it is clear that the only worthwhile game to hunt is obviously humans, people all over the country still hunt. In fact, it seems some of it is actually necessary. So, hunters, you’re in luck, because the Chicago Park District is about ready to allow specific hunting in one park. We’re out of luck, though, because it’s not the most dangerous game, it is deer. more ›

Didn't it seem like we were enjoying primo beer garden weather just a couple days ago? That's because we were. Mother Nature, you're such a tease. more ›

Showing its complete faith in the accuracy of weather reports, the CTA postponed impending Brown Line closures due to rain and a chance of rain. more ›

For generations, Alaskans have taken on one of Mother Nature's harshest climates in the Iditarod, a dog sled race that tests the integrity and endurance of the riders to their core. more ›

On the list of things Chicagoist loves about summer, "being a sticky, sweaty mess by the time you're done walking the block to the Red Line each morning" ranks somewhere between Cubs traffic and mosquito bites. We do somewhat enjoy watching the napkin brigade openly mop the sweat from their foreheads as they suffer on crowded trains, but overall, we'd generally prefer that it be a little cooler out there. more ›

There was a lot of talk about rain and thunderstorms for this weekend, and even yesterday weather.gov said there was a 40% chance of rain on Memorial Day. But Mother Nature was in a great mood today, and gave us clear skies, a slight breeze and temps in the low 70's. A great way to kick off the summer, and a great way to spend a day off in Summer Chicago, arguably the greatest city on Earth. more ›