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Tag: weather
When wintry weather takes a turn for the worst, students and employees often ask if the university will be open. As a general rule, NIU is always open until otherwise notified. The decision to declare an emergency weather suspension of campus operations, including class cancellations, is a data-informed, consultative process involving several areas, including Public Safety, the...
The April 9 tornado near Franklin Grove, Ill. Photo courtesy Walker Ashley, NIU Department of Geography
All DeKalb-area residents can remember the violent and deadly tornado that tore through Rochelle and Fairdale last April, leveling houses and trees in its path. At the next STEM Café, “Tornado Tracking: How Meteorologists Predict and Pursue Storms,” NIU associate professor Walker Ashley will tell the story of how he forecast and chased the tornado....
Each year, Illinois gets hit with more than 60 tornadoes, on average, and ranks in the Top 10 for the most tornadoes of any state in the nation. The odds of one or more tornadoes hitting a portion of DeKalb County is at least one in three every year. Our area also encounters 60 mph...
Photo of a plug in a wall outlet
Friday’s windy weather conditions have resulted in intermittent power surges at NIU’s main campus in DeKalb and other communities in the region. The NIU campus is operating normally. The power surges have also caused several severe weather sirens in DeKalb to be activated. Local police say the activation of the severe weather sirens was a result of the power...
An early shot of the tornado near Franklin Grove, Ill. Photo courtesy Walker Ashley, NIU Deparment of Geography
On the early evening of April 9, 2015, a large, violent tornado moved across portions of Lee, Ogle, DeKalb and McHenry counties, with winds as high as 195 mph. DeKalb County’s small community of Fairdale sustained a direct hit from the twister, which killed two and injured dozens of others. Unfortunately, the odds of some...
Gilbert Sebenste
NIU Weather, part of the Department of Environmental Health and Safety, was named last week as a Weather-Ready Nation Ambassador by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the National Weather Service (NWS). “I am proud to announce our designation of Weather-Ready Nation Ambassador,” said NIU meteorologist Gilbert Sebenste. “What this means is that...
Doug Sisterson
Mixed messages about climate disruption in the media and elsewhere cause confusion for the public and could prevent action to ensure a better future, says Doug Sisterson, a research meteorologist at Argonne National Laboratory. Sisterson will visit NIU Friday, April 10, to speak on “What We Know and Don’t Know About Climate Disruption,” exploring striking...
Campus snowball fun – Winter 2013
Although today’s weather does not necessitate a closure of campus, the combinations of temperature, rain/sleet and the ground temperature are making for icy conditions on the sidewalks and roads around campus. The Grounds and Building Services staff are using all the available equipment to provide salt and keep the campus paths of travel as safe...
Photo of a tornado
When severe weather strikes, nothing beats an eye on the storm. “Despite all the technology that we have, radar can’t tell if there is a tornado, or what size hail is falling, or if there is flooding,” said Gilbert Sebenste, NIU staff meteorologist. “Having a weather spotter report these things – in real time – can save...
Photo of a snowblower
With a huge snowstorm bearing down on the Northeast today, residents from New Jersey to Maine are preparing for two feet or more of the white stuff to blanket their homes, roads, schools, hospitals and more. The blizzard warning already has canceled nearly 1,500 flights. And how, in 2015, will everywhere from New York to...
Campus snowball fun – Winter 2013
Last year’s polar vortex caused some of the most severe winter weather Illinois has seen in the past 50 years, and the recent cold snap has everyone wondering what this winter will bring. Is the polar vortex part of global warming or proof that it doesn’t exist? STEM Café invites you to find out at...
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