Weather Realness

The midwest can’t seem to take a break from severe weather. In June, tornadoes and thunderstorms left a trail of damage in Illinois.

The Trump administration's proposal changes how scientific research is funded. We learn how this could affect the future of science and the public.

It’s summer time and that means warmer temperatures. Learn how to stay safe during extreme heat.

Garden Hills has experienced chronic flooding for decades. We discuss how flooding affects communities and the engineering behind the Garden Hills Neighborhood drainage project.

“Pressure” is a war film about D-Day that spotlights the importance of weather forecasting in military decisions. We break down the weather science behind the film how weather forecasting has evolved.

 The FIFA World Cup is just days away. But weather hazards like extreme heat and storms can pose a risk to players and fans. We talk about how the National Weather Service manages weather safety for sporting events like this one.

Summer isn’t always just hot. From thunderstorms and flash floods, summer can bring a variety of hazards. We talk about what Illinois residents can expect for the months ahead.

Weather forecasts are a part of everyday life, but predicting the weather was once considered impossible. Learn how meteorology evolved from early observations and hand calculations into the modern science we rely on today.

While wildfires aren’t common in Illinois, they do occur twice every year. We take a deeper look at the wildfire season in our state and how they’re changing under climate change.

Dust storms are unusual in Illinois, but they can be dangerous. We talk about the dust warning we received earlier this week and how it happened.

Severe weather warnings are meant to save lives. But what happens when non-english speakers are unable to understand them?

Severe weather has alerted residents in Illinois earlier this week. We talk about how it happened and what spring weather brings.

Meteorologists observe the weather with satellites and aircraft. But, scientists still use weather balloons, one of their most reliable instruments. 

Why do flights get cancelled or delayed? Learn how the weather shapes flight routes and what Aviation Meteorologists look out for.

Storm chasing can be dangerous from tornadoes overtaking vehicles to hail destroying cars. Today we learn how storm chasers can be prepared and stay safe. 

During a tornado, most people take cover. Others drive straight towards it. We talk to storm chasers about what it’s like to be in the path of a storm.

AI is an increasingly present part of our lives from using ChatGPT to Google Gemini. But, it also has very high energy and water demands that we often don’t think about. 

AI has the power to make tasks efficient for experts. Learn how scientists are using AI to make weather and climate predictions in minutes.

The planting season is getting underway and rising temperatures have only made growing seasons longer. We talk about how the longer growing season is affecting agriculture in Illinois.

Spring gardening can sometimes feel like a battle against the elements. Today we talk about how to keep your garden blooming this season. 

Summer just came early. A March heatwave broke over 100 record highs from the West and High Plains. Learn why this heatwave shattered records and how likely we will see something like this in the future.

Soaring temperatures are reshaping water systems across the U.S. We talk about how the heat is melting the Sierra Nevada snowpack and influencing the ongoing drought in Illinois.

Severe storms last week produced destructive tornadoes that traveled from Illinois to Indiana. We go through how tornado outbreaks are formed and why they happened in the midwest.

A massive hailstorm fell across Illinois and a six-inch hailstone was reported in Kankakee Illinois, that could be record breaking. We go through how hailstorms are formed and how they can grow to enormous sizes.

We’re in a severe weather season in Illinois. We saw the first of it on Tuesday, where a tornado outbreak hit the Chicago area and across Illinois. We talk about different types of weather warnings and how to stay safe in case you run into a tornado.