Dear Tom,
It seems that 2009 has had an abundance of precipitation. Is this going to be a record wet year?
— Chris Mall
Dear Chris,
Chicago is definitely having a wet 2009, but this year is taking a back seat to 2008, which reigns as Chicago’s wettest year, with 50.86 inches of precipitation. Buoyed by September deluges that brought 13.63 inches of rain, 2008 marked the first time that the city’s annual precipitation broke the 50-inch barrier, topping the old record of 49.35 inches established in 1983. At October’s close, precipitation at O’Hare International Airport had officially reached 38.61 inches — nearly 8 inches above normal — but the precipitation tally last year at the end of October was 43.28 inches — 4.67 inches greater. Barring an incredibly wet close to 2009, last year’s record should not be eclipsed.
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Write to: ASK TOM WHY, 2501 Bradley Pl., Chicago, IL 60618 or: asktomwhy@wgntv.com
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