Tony Briscoe

Tony Briscoe is a former reporter for the Tribune.

Firefighters work at the scene of a fire on the 100 block of North Green Street late Jan. 30, 2019, in Chicago.

Why the polar vortex has gripped Chicago and why you may see more of it

May 22, 2019 at 11:47 a.m.

For Chicagoans wondering why the polar vortex has migrated into Great Lakes states this week, some scientists say the atypical cold — which may become more frequent and prolonged —...

Cold enough in Chicago to freeze-fry an egg? This and other wacky experiments while you hibernate

May 22, 2019 at 11:47 a.m.

In sweltering summer heat, wacky newspaper editors often send reporters outside to test the expression “It’s hot enough to fry an egg on the sidewalk.” So what happens when it’s...

Chicago’s record for coldest temperature ever could fall as polar vortex has city ‘in the crosshairs’

May 23, 2019 at 6:43 a.m.

One of the coldest air masses in years will envelop the Midwest and the Northeast this week bringing potentially life-threatening low temperatures to the Chicago area that will feel even...

Kelly Nichol tosses a snowball for her 11-month-old dog, Mason, at the dog park at Horner Park Jan. 28, 2019, in Chicago. In addition to the pink coat, Nichol said she puts a special cream on Mason's paws to protect him from the cold.

Can your dog handle the extreme cold? Just remember: ‘If you’re cold, they’re cold’

August 22, 2019 at 3:23 p.m.

While this week’s cold weather will keep most people shuttered indoors, those with pets will likely have to make special considerations for their four-legged friends. Seasoned dog walker and business...

Area residents put on their winter faces against the record-breaking cold, made especially bitter by a minus-23-degree wind-chill factor on Dec. 19, 1983, in Chicago.

Hunker down Chicago: Subzero temps for next 45 hours could be one of city’s longest streaks

May 22, 2019 at 11:46 a.m.

Chicagoans might have a new appreciation for single-digit temperatures because Tuesday afternoon will mark the start of a 40-plus hour stretch of subzero weather, according to the National Weather Service....

As Chicago braced for dangerous cold, Trump joked about global warming

May 22, 2019 at 11:46 a.m.

As Chicago and much of the Midwest braced for a dangerous blast of arctic air — the worst in recent memory — President Donald Trump leaped at the chance to...

Gov. J.B. Pritzker commits Illinois to climate change fight as study shows extreme weather convincing more people

January 24, 2019 at 12:02 a.m.

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed an executive order Wednesday to join the United States Climate Alliance, aligning himself with 17 other governors who have committed their states to reduce carbon...

The "Super Blood Wolf Moon" on it's way to a total eclipse Jan. 20, 2019, over Chicago.

Sunday night’s ‘Super Blood Wolf Moon’ will be first total lunar eclipse in three years

January 21, 2019 at 5:53 a.m.

Chicago sky-watchers could be treated to a dazzling celestial display Sunday night as the sun, moon and Earth align for the first total lunar eclipse in more than three years....

The Straits of Mackinac, a 1928 ship that once ferried cars and people on Lake Michigan, is sunk in 2003 to create an artificial reef 8 miles east of Evanston. While sunken ships have served as reef habitat, they are primarily intended for recreational divers.

Fish eggs are suffocating in Lake Michigan reefs. What will it take to save these nurseries?

January 19, 2019 at 11:03 a.m.

Across the Great Lakes, collections of underwater rocks have traditionally served as incubators for native fish eggs. In Lake Michigan, this reef habitat can vary from a field of cobblestones...

Kyla Samuels, 6, and Joseph Concepcion, 4, play in a pool while Jacob Concepcion, 3, rides his tricycle in front of their home on North Washtenaw Avenue in Chicago's Humboldt Park neighborhood during an excessive heat warning for Cook County on July 1, 2018.

Severe cold, record rain, December tornadoes: 2018 closes out a year of unpredictable weather

May 22, 2019 at 11:40 a.m.

Illinois residents are accustomed to hunkering down and expecting the worst from the weather in all four seasons, but 2018 delivered some brutal punches. From the first day of the...

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