Weather Realness

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.

Severe weather events have increased over the years. From hurricanes, tornadoes to massive wildfires, these changes in the weather are often linked to climate change. We talk about how a warming planet influences extreme weather and how researchers make that connection.

We break down Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl Halftime Show and how it reflects the climate issues, resilience and ongoing power outages in Puerto Rico.

We finally got rain in Illinois, but the drought is still ongoing. We talk about what the recent rainfall  means for Illinois and other places of the U.S. and what it would take to ease the drought.

We sat down with Tim Killeen, president of the University of Illinois System to reflect on his career in geophysics and space science and the university’s role in innovation and advancing sustainability.

Stressed out over climate change and natural disasters? We talk about how climate issues affect our mental health and how to manage it. 

What happens when climate research is scaled back? From U.S. tornado warnings to flood alerts in Cambodia, we talk about how climate research shapes weather warnings and why we should take them seriously.

After a massive snowstorm swept across the country, we learn more while Illinois is seeing warmer winters and surprising snowfall.

We talked about the massive winter storm that hit Central Illinois and across the U.S. which brought heavy snow to some areas, freezing rain and sleet.

Wildfires are a natural reality in Southern California, but is mass destruction an inevitability? We look at if the program worked and how it could reshape life with wildfire in Los Angeles and beyond.