Weather Chicago ~UPD~
Begoña Windell
CPS also closely monitors weather forecasts and makes all decisions related to school closings based on the health and safety of our students. If school is canceled due to weather, CPS will get the word out quickly.
Watch
A tornado or severe thunderstorm watch means severe weather is possibly approaching. Continue normal activities but also continue to monitor the situation. If the weather appears to be changing, it is best advised you stay inside or relocate to an indoor location.
Warning
If the approaching severe weather is deemed to pose an immediate threat to the area, the watch may be elevated to a severe thunderstorm or tornado warning. You should take the following steps:
In recent years, shootings in Chicago were more likely to happen on warm days and especially during the weekend or holidays. This finding is in-line with studies that have linked crime to higher temperature and also suggests that shootings may be related to when individuals are outside and more likely to encounter violence. Interventions that keep people inside, such as air-conditioning and summer programs for students, might be effective in reducing the number of shootings in Chicago. We believe using a causal structure is useful for understanding the link between weather and shootings.
While there has been a substantial amount of research about the micro-locations where shootings are most likely to occur, there has been less on when shootings occur (Block & Block, 1995; Eck et al., 2005). One way to predict when shootings will occur is by looking at weather. For example, a review found that weather, including temperature and precipitation, was associated with conflict in Mexico, India, Tanzania, Australia, and the Philippines (Burke et al., 2015). Other studies have found that as temperature increased aggression also increased (Baron & Ransberger, 1978; Anderson et al., 2000; Anderson, 1987; Kenrick & MacFarlane, 1986; Cotton, 1986; Field, 1992; Anderson, 1989). Most recently, investigators in Baltimore found that precipitation was associated with a decrease in violent crime, and higher temperature was associated with an increase in firearm shootings and violent crime (Michel et al., 2016). However, these studies were predictive rather than causal and it is not appropriate to interpret the coefficients as stand-alone factors. For example, do thunderstorms predict shootings? Or do shootings occur more often when it is warm, and high temperature increases the probability of a thunderstorm? To be able to interpret each coefficient, the complex causal structure of each variable must be considered.
One prior study examined the relationship between weather and shootings in Chicago (Kieltyka et al., 2016). The authors found that as temperature increased, the number of daily shootings in Chicago also increased, and rain significantly decreased the number of firearm related injuries and crime. We update that study for a more recent period in Chicago when shootings were increasing rapidly, using what we believe are more complete and valid data (e.g., their study missed homicides going directly to the morgue and the injured either not seeking medical attention or leaving the hospital within 2 hours), and an established causal structure that goes beyond prediction, allowing us to make recommendations for policy.
Our cross-sectional study used publicly available data from 2012 to 2016 to measure the association between 10 ecological variables and the number of shootings in Chicago, after considering the complex causal structure between all of the variables and possible effect measure modifiers. We hypothesize that weather and other situations that lead to more people being outside will be associated with more shootings.
The weather in Illinois can vary greatly by season, or even day-to-day. You can expect hot and humid summers, rainy springs, brisk falls, and frigid, snowy winters. If you prepare yourself with adequate clothing and realistic expectations, living in a location with four distinct seasons can be a fulfilling experience.
The bitterly cold weather prompted the U.S. Postal Service to suspend mail deliveries Thursday in nine states, including Michigan, Ohio, Indiana and Illinois. United Parcel Service halted deliveries to about 250 ZIP codes, mostly in rural areas, in the Midwest and western New York.
"Due to this extremely cold weather and this extremely high demand for natural gas and a facility incident, Consumers Energy has asked that everyone in the Lower Peninsula turn our thermostats down to 65 degrees or less so that we can get through this storm with minimal harm," she said.
Mayor Rahm Emanuel warned that Chicago would not tolerate landlords who did not properly heat their buildings. While county courts were closed because of the weather, Emanuel directed the city buildings commissioner to use police powers to bring in crews to make emergency repairs at several privately owned apartment buildings.
We are now leveraging our big data smarts to deliver on the promise of IoT. By integrating our hyper-local weather data with Smart Home connected devices we are delievering predictive energy efficiency insight to homeowners and Utility companies.
Join the Chicago White Sox and NBC 5 Storm Team for Weather Day on Wednesday, May 1. Prior to the White Sox game vs. the Twins, the NBC 5 Storm Team will provide an educational presentation on the weather. Bring out your group for a unique learning experience at the park!
Exposed skin should be covered when walking out of doors, and extra layers are recommended. Temperatures are expected to drop during the day Monday, with the extreme cold continuing into Tuesday. For more information and weather advisories, please see
The Laboratory Schools also will be open Monday. Individual events or activities may be affected by the weather, however, so all are urged to check with the appropriate offices, faculty or supervisors with questions about particular functions at the University or the Laboratory Schools.
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