If there's one thing the "Windy City" is known for, it's the ability of Chicagoans to adapt to changes in the weather. It's always one of the most popular topics of conversation around town.
With rising ocean levels, forest fires and drought dominating coverage of changing climate patterns in other parts of the country, sometimes it's hard to tell how Chicago fits into the bigger picture. What should residents of the "Third Coast" of the Great Lakes expect? Experts have been sharing some trends they're seeing.
"Chicago is sinking. Here’s what that means for Lake Michigan and the Midwest" by Tony Briscoe
Chicago Tribune, February 28, 2019 (also available on the Chicago Tribune website)
As the Earth warms, the weighty glaciers that tamped down land up north are drawing away so the land up there is rising, which is one reason why the lake levels near Chicago are rising: the land is gradually tilting toward the south.
"Following severe fall storms, a project to salvage Chicago’s disappearing shoreline kicked off on the Far North Side" by Morgan Greene and Mary Wisniewski
Chicago Tribune, November 19, 2019 (also available on the Chicago Tribune website)
Recent heavy rain is another contributor to the rising lake levels devouring Chicago beaches, leading to challenges for local and federal authorities as they deal with shore erosion.
"More tornadoes are touching down east of the Mississippi River. If the Midwest is the dartboard, ‘the bull’s-eye is Chicago.'" by Tony Briscoe
Chicago Tribune, July 12, 2019 (also available on the Chicago Tribune website)
Emerging from a new line of research, a study from Northern Illinois University looked at tornado data over the past four decades and found the Midwest and Southeast are seeing a somewhat greater share of the tornadoes occurring in the United States.
"Climate change in Chicago isn’t playing out exactly as it has been nationwide — not yet" by Ed Zotti
Chicago Sun-Times, September 20, 2019 (also available on the Chicago Sun-Times website)
As temperatures around the globe rise, what's up with all those cool summer days in Chicago? Zotti explains how things are playing out a little differently than you might expect.
"On the largest freshwater island in the world, Lake Huron’s Native Americans warn of the fragility of water" by Tony Briscoe
Chicago Tribune, January 13, 2020 (also available on the Chicago Tribune website)
Part of the Tribune's Great Lake, High Stake series that focuses on the impact of climate change on the Great Lakes, this article visits Manitoulin Island, "largest freshwater island in the world," for a look at the impact on the indigenous people who call it home.
For more articles, see a recent compilation of the Tribune's climate change journalism for more coverage of the issue.
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