AmyFreeze's Blog

Chicago Area Runner's Association Presents:

NIKE READY TO RUN 20 MILER

ON THE LAKE FRONT

Runners will be sent off in groups of 50 every 30 seconds by Start Captain and 5-time Marathoner Amy Freeze, Chief Meteorologist for Fox News Chicago!

I've never run in the heat like Chicago had last year for the race... what I do know is that preparation and training can make all the difference on race day--no matter what the weather!  I hope your training and race preparation for Fall marathons is going smoothe...

On September 21st join CARA's Marathon Training Program and me!  We will run the entire Chicago Lakefront Path from Hollywood to South Shore.  This fully supported 20 miler includes timed pace groups, 10 aid stations, gear check, buses back to the start, finisher's premium and a finish line party to help you celebrate your last long training run before the Bank of America Chicago Marathon. 

Click here to join me for the run!

Here are some Extreme Weather Marathons to consider:

COLDEST MARATHON in the world:  NORTH POLE MARATHON  The marathon is run on the frozen Arctic ice floes with only about 14 feet of ice separating the runners from 12,000 feet (3650 meters) of icy Arctic Ocean. It's the only marathon race in the world that is not on any land.

The hottest spot on Earth -- the Sahara -- also has it's own marathon!  26.2 miles in the desert heat. 

 

 

…Major Hurricane Gustav bearing down on southern Louisiana coast…

 I just returned from a weekend trip to Houston... the entire Gulf Coast is watching Gustav while the cental LA area will bear the brunt of the storm... only clouds and a few sprinkles in Houston this morning... but they are expecting rains from Gustav.

I stayed at the Hyatt Regency in Houston which happened to be the staging area for FEMA and US Border Patrol.  They were deployed late Sunday night into the heart of Louisiana.  The crews I met were search and rescue teams, recovery units, and security teams. 

One FEMA coordinator I talked to emphasized the diffence between the proactive approach to Gustav versus the reactionary response in Katrina.  So many more people are prepared --- from residents to the the emergency managers.... it seems everyone thinks this time the outcome won't be as bad.

The hurricane center is just hours from landfalll... but when Katrina made landfall... the headline was "A City Spared"  it wasn't until hours later we realized the levees had been breached and major flooding was occurring.

If you know someone in the Gulf Coast and they have a story to send in --- or you've talked to them about their experience... post it here and let us know how they are doing.

Meteorologist Amy Freeze

Fox Chicago News

A Beautiful Weekend

to Kick it into the Net!

Here at Fox Chicago we first brought you the story of Chicago's connection to "Nothing But Nets." The campaign is once spreading across the Chicagoland area with the Guitierrez Family hosting a soccer clinic. Chicago Fire Midfielder Diego Gutierrez was joined by Fire Defender Bakary Soumare this weekend for a kids soccer clinic.

Gutierrez donated clinic proceeds to “Nothing But Nets” (www.nothingbutnets.net), the grassroots campaign to provide insecticide-coated nets for children’s beds to create a protective barrier against mosquitoes that may carry malaria and are most likely to bite in the early morning, evening and at night.

Malaria is a leading killer of children in Africa with an estimated 3,000 children contracting the disease each day The clinic was made possible by the Sedgebrook Community.

According to Drew Kowalski, finance director at Sedgebrook: “The men and women who live and work at Sedgebrook applaud Diego Gutierrez for helping children here and across the globe.”

“First, Diego is encouraging youngsters here to develop their soccer skills and have a winning spirit. And, he is helping stop the spread of malaria among children in Africa by donating the clinic proceeds to buy nets for children’s beds. The nets can help stop mosquitoes that might carry malaria from biting the children while they sleep. Malaria is a leading killer of children in Africa with an estimated 3,000 children contracting the disease each day.”

More than 390 men and women (age 62+) currently live at Sedgebrook, a full-service independent living retirement community in Lincolnshire. Sedgebrook is developed and managed by Erickson Retirement Communities of Baltimore, Md. The Community also made a generous contribution to Nothing But Nets.

August 4th a line of severe storms developed west of Chicago and moved eastward.  Fox WEATHERWATCH broke into programing to give live information about the dangerous storms at 7 p.m.  The warnings included the liklihood of strong winds, heavy rain, some hail, and possibly tornadoes.  

The weather did produce significant damange.  An EF 2 Tornado touched down in Griffith, Indiana.  From the National Weather Service storm report "A radar image at 828 PM displaying storm relative motion.  In this image, rotation is observed in northern Lake county near Griffith, Indiana.  This is once again observed through the green colors representing strong velocities directed toward the radar while the adjacent brighter red colors representing velocities away from the radar. This couplet suggests a cyclonic, or counter-clockwise circulation."

There were five tornadoes that touched down in the area that night. 

Here is a transcript of the 911 calls that came into the Griffith when the tornado happened.

GRIFFITH 911 UNIT 21

  "oh man i had a tree just come thru my living room window."

   "you've got trees down. major trees down?"

"yes sir."

"Major trees down!"

 "my tree in my yard, i don't know if it was hit by lightning or whatever but it's all over and it looks like it crushed a van in the tree."

 "Griffith 911. What's you emergency? Um, yes. I don't have a roof, no windows and there's kids. We need to get out of here."

"you what?"

"i'm on the 2nd floor. i don't have a roof. the walls are barricaded in and we just need to really get out of here."

 "our house just got hit by a tornado. 1709. our gas lines are ripped up and they need to be turned off."

 "we're outside in the, outside!"

"where are you at?"

"we're on broad street."

"ma'am get home. try to get home."

"please help us. i don't know what to do."

"ma'am you just gotta try to seek shelter somehwere. that's all i can tell you. i'm sorry. we have got. it's bad. just try to seek shelter somewhere okay?"

While no rainstorms passed through the Chicago area Tuesday... a funnel cloud did form over NW Indiana in Lowell. 

The towering cumumlus clouds began churning and the winds twisted in just the right direction to produce a well defined funnel cloud.  The circulation occurred about 6:45 p.m. 

The funnel did not touch down but was visibile long enough for Fox WEATHERWATCHERS to get it on camera!  Thank you Will and Nick for the photos and for the calls and emails from all of our weatherwatchers!  

Meteorologist Amy Freeze

Fox WEATHERWATCHER Will Taylor

Fox WEATHERWATCHER Nick Theodoratos

 If you made it out to the Gold Coast Art Show you may have been able to see the artwork of Jennifer Edgley in person.  Below is a sample of her amazing work.  The Edgley's are Fox WEATHERWATCH viewers... but by the looks of it --- we should be watching Jennifer's work to get the best description of the atmosphere... amazing work!  Thanks for sharing! 

Amy Freeze Fox WEATHERWATCH

 

 

Jennifer Edgley

Click here to find out more about her art!

Tonight is the first pre-season game for the Bears.  I will be on the field during the game for a live weather report broadcast on the jumbo tron --- if you are at the game tonight--- look for me in the SW corner of the field... with weather conditions during the first quarter.   Take pictures of your Bears fun and send them in to us!  amy.freeze at fox chicago dot com.

During Monday's storms there were several public venues that were filled to capacity including Wrigley Field and the O'Hare where people had to take cover.... it was a serious weather situation that needed immediate reaction.  Many people had plans in place.  There was plenty of damage,,, but still no reports of serious injury or death.  Many times, preparation is the key to staying safe during the storm,  Were you ready?  Will you be ready next time?

Earlier in the Spring the Fox WEATHERWATCH team took a look at the possibility of a severe weather event, even a tornado, affecting downtown Chicago.  Check out "Surviving Severe Weather:  A Fox WEATHERWATCH Special."  Tammie Souza looks at how public venues handle the emergencies, Mark Strehl looks at Airport Forecasters, and Steve Baron looks at staying safe on the open waters of Lake Michigan during big storms.

Click here to see Surviving Severe Weather!

Email me directly for more information on how to get a NOAA Weather Radio

Meteorologist Amy Freeze

Click here to get all the links for video of dancing and pictures!

         On July 31st, local celebrities helped save babies by battling in "Dance for Babies," a March of Dimes fundraiser that pushed local celebrities to the threshold of their dancing abilities.  Prior to their performances, the celebrities underwent 6 - 8 weeks of rehearsals with their professional dance instructors/partners from the Chicagoland Fred Astaire Dance Studios.  After each pair performed a tango and a cha cha routine, Amy Freeze, Fox Chicago award-winning meteorologist and mother of an adopted premature daughter, was declared the 2008 Dance for Babies champion.  Preliminary figures suggest that the event doubled attendance, as well as the funds raised from last year.

          Celebrity judges included Jesse DeSoto, professional dancer/instructor from the ABC Network show Dancing with the Stars (two seasons) and owner of the Buffalo Grove Fred Astaire Dance Studio; Megan Murphy, professional ballroom dancer and instructor at the Michigan Avenue Fred Astaire Dance Studio in Chicago; and Howard Griffith, retired star Full Back for the Denver Broncos and current lead sports analyst for the Big Ten Network.  Griffith participated in the 2007 Dance for Babies as a celebrity dancer and won first place in the competition.

            The other local celebrity dancers who performed were Zoraida Sambolin, NBC5 morning news anchor (3rd place), Jen Schefft, former bachelorette from the ABC television network shows, The Bachelor and The Bachelorette , Marcus Leshock, CLTV Metromix host, Dr. Lauren Streicher, Chicago Sun-Times columnist and author (2nd place) , and Jane Marcus, senior partner and practice leader for Heidrick & Struggles.

          The dance instructors, provided by the Chicagoland Fred Astaire Dance Studios, were Vance Mabry from the Burr Ridge location (Zoraida Sambolin), Simona Polmova from the Buffalo Grove studio (Marcus Leshock), Jason Rutz from the Hoffman Estates studio (Jen Schefft), Dmitriy Plyvskiy from the Chicago location (Amy Freeze), Kenneth Jarvis from the Tinley Park studio (Lauren Streicher), and Aaron DeSoto from the Buffalo Grove location (Jane Marcus).

       The March of Dimes is the champion for all babies, and has protected their health for 70 years, beginning with funding the research that led to the prevention of polio.  The March of Dimes is the first and only organization that has found the cure for which it was established and also is the first health organization to host a nationwide walk.  Founded in 1938 by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the organization was originally called the National Infantile Paralysis Foundation.  After funding the research that led to the cure for polio, the organization changed its focus to prematurity.             

 

       The March of Dimes is the leading nonprofit organization for pregnancy and baby health.  With chapters nationwide and its premier event, March for Babies, the March of Dimes works to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality.  For the latest resources and information, visit marchofdimes.com or nacersano.org.

VIEWERS WANT TO KNOW:  DERECHO

J. Miller wrote in asking about a Derecho... which are very damaging wind storms.  NOAA definition:   A derecho (pronounced similar to "deh-RAY-cho" in English or pronounced phonetically as "") is a widespread and long lived windstorm that is associated with a band of rapidly moving showers or thunderstorms.  

Derechos do happen in Chicago occassionally.  We have had a few in Chicago over the last year. 

Miller sent in photos taken in Wilmot Wisconsin and wanted to find out more...

More about Derecho Wind Storms:

Here are a few links to check out...

NOAA's fact sheet

Click here for NOAA's fact sheet!

Here's a cool u tube visual of the July 10 Derecho over chicago

Click here for You Tube Examples!

Thanks for writing in J Miller!

Amy Freeze  Fox Chicago WEATHERWATCH

8 Days and Counting!  

The March of Dimes presents Dance for Babies!  It's a fundraiser to help premature babies.... I admit I would do anything to help a tiny, sweet child--- but this has been much harder than I imagined.  The Cha-Cha and Tango are fun to learn --- but hitting the right move to the music and making it look easy is a different story!  My Russian partner Dmitriy Plyvskiy is very patient with me.  He's fun and has the patience of Job!  

We practice at the Fred Astaire on Michigan Ave.  The teachers there are really cool---- amazing dancers!   Very talented people and they have the unique ability to make people feel at easy right away.... it's a wonderful environment.  Besides lessons they also have a lot of social events there too.    Anyway... here we are--- goofing off at one of our practices.   Please come cheer me on!    The audience vote counts!  Also, if you have any advice I'd love to hear it!  I'll be on US 99 this Friday morning at 8 a.m. to talk about the event...  

It's Thursday July 31st  Downtown Chicago $75 - to benefit March of Dimes!
Click here for Dance for Babies Blogs!

 
 
Whether you are in the sun or not can make a big difference in the WEATHER you endure....  During the heat of summer, shade from trees helps cool us and our homes.  In the shade, the temperature can be up to 10 degrees cooler.  Shaded trees are usually in grassy areas... versus bright sun in urban areas which are usually even hotter with concrete and asphalt!  Stay in the shade to keep your temperature down!
 
Trees can also pay dividends by shading our streets -- this can keep pavement in better condition... saving tax money for costly repairs!  In an arbor study, shaded streets required less maintenance and can save up to 60 percent on repaving costs over a 30-year period! 
 
Shade from trees also cools pavements, lessening the urban heat island effect that makes metropolitan areas considerably warmer than nearby rural areas.
 
Often times, strong storms can ruin trees... always replant!  Ask your local village to help you out --- they may do the removal, the tree stump grind and may even replant for you--- but stay on top of them and don't get lost in the paper work!  Trees are cool... seriously!
 
Meteorologist Amy Freeze, Fox News Chicago

Have you heard?  Meteorologists can change the weather... personally, I am not in favor of altering weather... I think the ethics and ethos are questionable.  It's going way too far! 

Here's the article from "Let's Talk" Blog.....

If bad weather threatens the August 8 opening of Beijing’s Olympic Games, then meteorologists may change the weather, according to a Chinese meteorology official. CHINESE scientific research weather experts say they have stopped the rain from falling in experiments aimed at guaranteeing a dry opening ceremony at Augusts’ Olympic Games.

With no roof on the showpiece Bird’s Nest stadium, the Beijing Meteorological Bureau has been charged with developing methods of preventing wet weather spoiling what promises to be a spectacular start to the Games on the evening of August 8.
“Our experiments with rain mitigation have been aimed at light rain,” said Zhang Qian, head of weather manipulation at the bureau.

“With heavy rain it is more difficult. The results with light rain have been satisfactory.”

Ms. Qian said different strategies were used to stop rain on different types of clouds, but both had proved not to harm the environment.

“For cold clouds below zero degrees, we use a coolant made from liquid nitrogen to increase the number of droplets while decreasing their mean size,” she said.

“As a result, the smaller droplets are less likely to fall and precipitation can be reduced. For clouds above zero degrees we use the seeding agent silver iodide to accelerate the droplets’ collision and coalescence, producing a downdraft which suppresses the formation of clouds.”

China has long used weather manipulation to increase rainfall in the parched north of the country, firing seeding agents into the clouds using anti-aircraft guns.

This method might also be used to prevent wet weather at the stadium by inducing the rain to fall before it reached the target area.

The weather bureau is also working hard on preparing for one of the pre-Games highlights, the ascent of the Olympic torch to the top of Mount Everest.

“We will have very detailed forecasts,” Mr. Wang said. “We will be able to tell the organizers: the winds are too strong, you cannot do it on this day, or, you can do it on this day.”

 

Meteorologist Amy Freeze

Chicago's Most Accurate Forecast

Fox News Chicago at Nine and 10:10

What an amazing set of pictures from the storms on July 10th ---  thank you for overflowing photos of nature's powerful display!   From rainbows, to lightning, to hail, and breathtaking cloud formations --- we've loaded a bunch of your best stuff... check it out!

Click here to see the July 10th Storms Slide Show!

Remember you can now upload photos directly to the MyFoxChicago sight!  We hope you'll link your personal websites back to the slide show--- afterall, you're photos are so good --- they are being included on an award winning website MyFoxChicago.com!!!  

Click here to upload weather photos! Bookmark this site for our next storm!

 

Amy here are some great shots of the storm front that came through Genoa, in DeKalb county at about 7pm today. I would love to see them on your Freeze Frame.

Thanks, Joe Buschbacher, Genoa, IL

Joe- they will be on the air tonight!! 

Thanks,

Amy