Currently in Chicago — November 9, 2023: Clear and sunny, but also sneezy

The weather, currently.

We have a 60% chance of showers and thunderstorms tonight before 10pm, with a low around 44 and some wind, then the clouds should dissipate overnight. Thursday will dawn bright and clear, with a high near 52. It will be breezy too, with gusts up to 35mph. We can expect a mostly clear and dry Veterans Day weekend.

If you’ve been noticing that your fall allergy symptoms have been acting up more than usual these last few years, you aren’t imagining things. Climate change is affecting how long and how much those late plants produce pollen, and this year’s allergy season might be even worse.

— Katje Sabin

What you need to know, currently.

According to the latest US drought monitor, California is now entirely drought-free for the first time since early 2020 — thanks to a series of beneficial rains brought in part by Hurricane Hilary and a growing El Niño.

Almost every major lake and reservoir in the state is currently filled higher than normal — a rarity for California in this era of megadrought. Some areas of the Sierra Nevada mountain range are more than 20 inches ahead in 2023 alone. The state also made it through peak wildfire season with hardly any major threats, thanks mostly to the wet soil.

In fact, state officials have begun to release extra capacity from California reservoirs to hold heavy rains that might come with El Niño this winter. The first potential atmospheric river of the season could arrive as early as this weekend.

— Eric Holthaus

What you can do, currently.

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