Tom Skilling Explains El Nino's Potential Impact on Coming Winter


Move over, polar vortex. After a couple of years of soul-crushing winters that made the "Star Wars" ice planet of Hoth look like a tropical paradise, Chicago could see a milder winter thanks to a strong El Nino, the weather phenomenon famously spoofed by Chris Farley.

An El Nino occurs when the surface temperatures in the Pacific ocean along the equator are unusually high, thereby causing abnormal weather patterns all over the world. For Chicago, the anticipation of warmer winter temperatures is so strong that local retailers are planning to carry less winter-related items, according to the Federal Reserve’s Beige Book released in September.

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We talk with WGN meteorologist Tom Skilling about how El Nino may play out in the Windy City. And speaking of wind, we’ll also get the 411 from Skilling on the “fierce wind storm” that saw gusts of more than 50 mph and caused officials to temporarily close the Chicago Skyway.

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