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Heavy Rain From the Central Plains to the Mid-Atlantic; Heat Wave Begins This Weekend

Strong to severe thunderstorms and heavy rain will impact portions of the central Plains into the Upper Midwest and the Mid-Atlantic through the weekend. A stretch of unusually hot and humid weather is expected across portions of the central U.S. and the Southeast beginning this weekend and continuing through next week. The heat may reach dangerous levels, particularly mid to late next week. Read More >

 

The Great Chicago Fire of 1871

October 8, 2021

A dry spell of weather across the Midwestern U.S. during the summer and first half of the autumn of 1871 helped fuel numerous large wildfires that broke out across the region in early October. On the evening of October 8th, a fire broke out on the southwest side of the city of Chicago and would burn through the city for about one and a half days, leaving much of the city in ruins and becoming a significant part of its history in the process. To mark the 150th anniversary of the Great Chicago Fire in 2021, NWS Chicago staff put together this web page to look back at the warm, dry, and windy weather that allowed for the fire to spread through the city as quickly as it did, as well as the rain and cold front that moved in to help put the fire out, and to highlight the National Weather Service’s fire weather program, which plays an integral role in assisting agencies that carry out planned burns and supporting firefighters who battle wildfires across the United States.

 

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Additional recaps can be found on the NWS Chicago Past Events Page
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