lake breeze convective initiation over chicago, il
11 july 2023

one of the most intriguing features of living near a massive inland body of water is how dramatically it can shape local weather—often in subtle, yet powerful ways. that dynamic was on full display during the early hours and into the afternoon of 11 july 2023.

even before sunrise, signs of a primed environment were visible across northern illinois as evidenced by the towering cumulus clouds observed over dekalb, il.

by midmorning, the lake breeze began pushing inland, bringing a shallow but sharp boundary across northeastern illinois, and allowing for the development of scattered sub-severe storms to erupt overhead.

while 11 july didn’t produce significant severe weather, it set the stage for what would become a volatile pattern the next day. 12 july 2023, would go on to produce multiple tornadoes across northern illinois, including the highly photogenic burr ridge-stickney tornado as well as two tornadoes at kord.