Why Do Storms Always Just Miss Chicago? (live, cities)

[Bardot]

I've been wondering this for the many years I've lived here as I'm a huge fan of thudnerstorms. Is there some sort of meteorological explanation (the lake maybe?) for the fact that nearly every time a storm system heads towards the Chicago area, it ends up breaking up right before it hits the city? The top half will break off and head upwards towards Wisconsin and mid-northern Michigan, the bottom half will head just southeast of us. I've noticed this happens at least half of the time a storm system heads in our direction; storms frequently circumvent the city.

Take today for example: the weather told us we had a 60%-90% chance of storms from 4-7pm. Low and behold the storm seems to be breaking up and we've only gotten light rain thus far. I know it seems trivial, but am I the only one to notice this pattern? I feel like Southern Wisconsin and Western Illinois get all the storms

[emathias]

Plenty of storms hit Chicago. I think you have to actually a) define what you mean and/or b) demonstrate numerically that something is actually happening. So far all you've offered is your opinion, so you're basically asking people why you have your own opinion, which is just an absurd request.

[Attrill]

It's all a crapshoot as far as thunderstorms go, there's no pattern that makes them avoid Chicago. We certainly get more major thunderstorms than most major cities.

[squirrels]

I'm pretty sure I saw lightning just last night when I was out for my run.

[CatWarmer]

Ask Tom Skilling; he seems to love questions with statistical answers. Ask Tom Why | Chicago Weather Center: Skilling's Forecast and Chicago Severe Weather Alerts I know what you mean though, it really does seem like storms part as you say. But unfortunately just as many go straight on into the city.

[Bardot]

Originally Posted by emathias

Plenty of storms hit Chicago. I think you have to actually a) define what you mean and/or b) demonstrate numerically that something is actually happening. So far all you've offered is your opinion, so you're basically asking people why you have your own opinion, which is just an absurd request.

Yikes, I didn't mean to startle you with my "absurdity". In actual fact, I stated my opinion and was asking if anyone else shared it. I do understand it's a weird thing to ruminate about.

I'll definitely take this question to Tom Skilling because it seems like a common pattern (I'm a nerd and check the weather radar almost daily so I see the weather patterns as they're developing). Of course we do get storms (which I define as hard rain, thunder and/or lightning), but frequently we get storms systems heading our way and than breaking apart as previously mentioned. Perhaps that's just Chicago weather and I'm thinking too hard about it.

[aliasfinn]

We get more than our share in St.Louis, you can have them if you want.

[ChiGuy2.5]

The lake could be a possible explanation for Chicago appearing to have a "force field". I know when I went to NIU they had mentioned that the weather patterns out there were extreme because that is typically where the cold/warm air depending on the season would meet with the jet stream coming from up north. Its all a little bit more complicated than I can understand.

[pete6032]

This was at 6AM this morning.

[Chitownmytown]

I know what you mean. I've observed the same thing over and over. I don't know if it's the lake, or I've also been told that al of the buildings and concrete in the city generate a lot of heat. It wouldn't be unreasonable to think that one of those two temperature differences could have a micro-effect on weather. Let us know what you learn.