Great Lakes Ice Coverage As Seen From Space; Lake Michigan Meltdown
Last week's brief thaw melted much of the ice covering Lake Michigan, but three of the Great Lakes still remain nearly entirely on ice.
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Last week's brief thaw melted much of the ice covering Lake Michigan, but three of the Great Lakes still remain nearly entirely on ice.
It's been so bitterly cold for so long in the Upper Midwest that the Great Lakes are almost completely covered with ice. The last time they came this close was in 1994, when 94 percent of the lakes' surface was frozen.
The Commander acknowledges there's some irony in the name: Biscayne Bay, for a Coast Guard ice breaker which is moored at Navy Pier.
The long deep freeze across the Upper Midwest this winter has left a whopping 80 percent of the Great Lakes covered in ice.
By meteorological standards, the winter of 2014 has been nothing short of impressive.
Placing dam-like structures in Chicago waterways would be an almost foolproof method of preventing Asian carp from reaching Lake Michigan, while a less pricey electric barrier system also has solid prospects for shielding the Great Lakes from the invasive fish.
A sailboat left floating at the dock at the end of last season is now frozen in the ice-covered water, a curiosity to local ice fishermen, and people who pass by on the lakefront path.
An Army Corps of Engineers report has a U.S. Senators, local mayors and waterway industry representatives speaking out against one of its solutions to stop the spread of Asian Carp.
Firefighters rescued a dog from Lake Michigan on Friday, after the animal fell off a ledge on the South Side.
About 12:15 a.m., a 31-year-old man was heard screaming for help from the water near where the river meets Lake Michigan.
A U.S. Coast Guard ship loaded with more than 1,200 Michigan Christmas trees has arrived in downtown Chicago.
Witnesses saw him driving east on Balbo Drive at Lake Shore Drive, but instead of making a left turn, he kept going, onto the sidewalk, down a pedestrian path, and into the lake.
Local officials are issuing a new warning of damage to Lake Michigan and problems for homeowners as a result of climate change, reports WBBM's Political Editor Craig Dellimore.
Windy conditions at the lakefront will make for very choppy conditions on the lake, with dangerous pounding waves prompting a warning for anyone who might want to go swimming, despite the chilly conditions.
A male Jet Skier who went missing several miles off the shore of Lake Michigan Saturday afternoon was found safe, police said.
Indefinite discharges of raw sewage into Lake Michigan won't cut it for a coalition of environmental groups, which Thursday asked a federal judge to set aside a proposed consent decree.
The National Weather Service warned lakefront visitors Thursday that swimming conditions are going to be dangerous in Lake Michigan, due to high waves and rip currents.
A southwest suburban family is thankful for their rescuers and their smart phone. They became stranded on a sinking vessel on the lake off Portage on Labor Day when they called for help.
Officials closed North Avenue Beach Monday afternoon, blaming hazardous surf. Meanwhile, nearly half of Chicago's public beaches remained under swim advisories.
The body of a man was found in Lake Michigan Saturday afternoon on the city's South Side.
The man's brother last saw him going into the water with a raft and then took a nap. When he woke up, his brother had not returned.
Lakefront visitors are being advised to check the flags at Chicago beaches before going into the water on Friday, because of possible danger of rip currents from choppy conditions.
The National Weather Service is warning people to stay out of Lake Michigan today, because of large waves and dangerous rip currents along the lakefront in Illinois and Indiana.
The Chicago Fire Department was called to search for an 18-year-old girl who was feared to have gone overboard from one of the city's tour boats.
Many people along Oak Street beach took a double on Sunday after seeing a boat towing a car.
Riot Fest announced its 2026 festival daily lineup on Thursday.
The Obama Presidential Center, museum and library opens in Chicago with a star-studded grand opening ceremony and public watch party on Midway Plaisance.
A comedian, storyteller, Navy veteran, and proud Chicagoan, Tom Dreesen leaves behind a legacy built not only on laughter but on kindness too.
Restoration crews are hard at work responding to and repairing damage around the city caused by last week's storms.
Matt Shaw got the Cubs going in the second with a two-run triple and Carson Kelly followed with an RBI double to set the stage for Swanson's first home run since May 18.
The Chicago City Council on Wednesday approved a plan to buy the city's Greyhound bus station in the West Loop to avoid its possible closure.
Lawmakers have a busy summer of negotiations ahead of them with pressure from both the governor's office and their constituents to craft data center regulations that stakeholders and legislators can live with.
The agreement, as read by senior U.S. officials, allows Iran to immediately begin exporting oil and petroleum products.
After more than a decade since it was announced, the Obama Presidential Center and Library officially opens to the public in Chicago's Jackson Park on June 19, 2026.
Lawyers for the "Broadview Six" are trying to uncover communication between the White House and Chicago U.S. Attorney's Office regarding prosecutorial misconduct in their now-dismissed case.
An Illinois law banning "swipe fees" on taxes and tips — already delayed twice by lawmakers — appears to be on life support after a federal judge that once permitted it issued a permanent injunction against it this week.
A new study from the Cook County Treasurer's office underlines growing concerns about the impact the Illinois megaprojects bill could have on the county's property tax base and overall fiscal health.
As thousands of Chicagoans wrap up road trips over the Memorial Day holiday weekend, gas prices in the city have reached the highest levels seen in four years.
Consumer and environmental advocates said Monday that they found overcharges buried in the most recent rate-hike request by Nicor.
One week away from Memorial Day weekend and the unofficial start of the summer travel season, with gas prices remaining high, negotiations were set to resume Monday at the largest oil refinery in the Midwest.
After Bruce Willis was diagnosed with dementia, his wife Emma Heming Willis found a new purpose as a health advocate.
The North Shore suburb of Wilmette this week became the latest Chicago-area municipality to discover mosquitoes carrying the West Nile virus this year.
Dr. Peter Stafford was working with a missionary group in the Congo when he came down with the virus last month.
While 330 Ebola infections are confirmed in central Africa and huge challenges remain, hundreds more suspected cases "have been cleared out," the WHO says.
June is World Infertility Awareness Month, and Northwestern Medicine on Monday shared the story of a woman who is celebrating the birth of her second child after a tumor disrupted her fertility.
Daley's Restaurant, known as Chicago's oldest, has served Chicago's Woodlawn neighborhood for more than 130 years.
Walgreens is set to close in Chicago's Chatham neighborhood on Thursday, and there's growing concern about where families will get their medications.
The owners of Gene & Georgetti steakhouse are suing a concessions operator over their expansion at Midway International Airport.
DraftKings announced Monday that it is closing its sportsbook operation at Wrigley Field after only about two years.
After more than 80 years, there will be no Ann Sather restaurant location in the 900 block of West Belmont Avenue in Chicago's Lakeview community, effective in June.
Tom Dreesen, a pioneering actor and comedian and Chicago-area native, died Wednesday.
Luke Skywalker's lightsaber from the "Star Wars" sequel "The Empire Strikes Back" is expected to sell for at least $1 million at an upcoming auction.
Rio de Janeiro's Military Fire Department said one of the helicopters crashed in the parking lot of a car dealership, where several electric vehicles were parked, igniting a fire.
Actress Sarah Jessica Parker addressed the Class of 2026 at Northwestern University at their commencement ceremony at the United Center Sunday.
Forty years ago last weekend, crowds turned out for the Chicago Blues Festival — an event studded with a roster of stars for a spectacle that's still talked about today.
Travel editor Peter Greenberg joined CBS News Chicago to weigh in on the economic impacts of presidential centers, just ahead of the Obama Presidential Center opening.
Some residents in Northwest Indiana are entering Day 7 without power after multiple rounds of severe weather.
President of the White House Historical Association, Stewart McLaurin, joined Dana Kozlov on CBS News Chicago to share his first impressions of the Obama Presidential Center.
Dana Kozlov reports live as final preparations are underway at the Obama Presidential Center ahead of Thursday's opening ceremony.
Meteorologist Laura Bannon has the extended forecast.
The Obama Presidential Center, museum and library opens in Chicago with a star-studded grand opening ceremony and public watch party on Midway Plaisance.
Five years after Chicago police officer Ella French was shot and killed in the line of duty, COPA released bodycam footage showing the late officer's final moments.
Riot Fest announced its 2026 festival daily lineup on Thursday.
The suspect is facing multiple felony charges, including first-degree murder and aggravated unlawful possession of a weapon.
A comedian, storyteller, Navy veteran, and proud Chicagoan, Tom Dreesen leaves behind a legacy built not only on laughter but on kindness too.
Kindbody entered into an agreement with a cryogenic storage facility in Massachusetts, but not all patients received the email.
A Chicago woman says a life insurance policy she paid into for 25 years was cancelled over a $112 shortfall that she never knew existed, and now, at 82 years old, she's uninsurable.
The Crisis Alternative Response Evanston, or CARE, team responds to calls that, before July 2024, would have been lumped into police calls.
The system will provide all heating, cooling, and ventilation for the high school's new physical education facilities and contribute to the school system, saving the district nearly $400,000 a year.
The forecast for a summer reopening of West Suburban Medical Center in Oak Park is growing cloudy, as negotiations continue between the owners and landlord, after the safety net hospital abruptly shuttered its doors in March.
Matt Shaw got the Cubs going in the second with a two-run triple and Carson Kelly followed with an RBI double to set the stage for Swanson's first home run since May 18.
The surging New York Yankees used another big inning to beat the Chicago White Sox 10-5 on Wednesday night.
He says that, though his career ended early, coaching was a way to stay involved.
The three-game series wraps up Wednesday with Rockies LHP Sean Sullivan facing Cubs RHP Javier Assad.
Spencer Jones homered in the second inning, Ben Rice and Paul Goldschmidt each added a two-run drive in the fourth, and the Yankees rocked the White Sox 12-2 on Tuesday night.
A sport-utility vehicle rammed into a Shell gas station mini mart in what was believed to be an attempted crash-and-grab burglary in Chicago's East Pilsen neighborhood.
Luigi Mangione's lawyers will argue that he was suffering from an extreme emotional disturbance when he allegedly killed UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
Rex Heuermann was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the series of murders known as the Gilgo Beach serial killings.
A man from Chicago's south suburbs was sentenced to more than 33 years in prison last week for running an online chat group that trafficked in child pornography.
Chicago police on Tuesday released surveillance images of three attackers who they say beat a man on a downtown CTA Blue Line platform last week.
