Chicagoland in the Fall

The Fall season is a wonderful time in Chicagoland. The daylight hours begin to shorten significantly. The leaves change into beautiful colors of reds, yellows, and browns. Lawns of green grass give way to blankets of yellow leaves. Walking down the sidewalks of many neighborhoods with established trees, you feel the crunch of the fallen leaves under your feet. A solid rain or strong wind brings down all the leaves of a street lined with trees, but scattered through the neighborhood you will find trees with leaves that hang on until the last leaf pickup of the season. In addition, a few trees will have leaves that will hang on as a reminder of summer well into the early days of winter. On a bright sunny day, the sun will hit those leaves and paint a picture of a stained glass window with vibrant colors. It is a signal of the unpredictable but exciting weather changes of Chicagoland. After the steady hot days of summer, there is an impulsive mix of weather. One day the weather is warm with gentle breezes that beg for a walk along the lakefront with gentle waves followed by a day of crisp temperatures requiring sweaters and heavy jackets with large sprays of water on your lakefront walk. It is a wonderful way to spend the day, walks, or a bike ride in the Forest Preserves with friends followed by hot chocolate in a local shop. And, to paint the picture of our blend of weather, just yesterday, one of our western suburbs witnessed the first snow of the season and yet next week the weather reports predict 60 degrees. One final thought as I share our exciting weather patterns with you. As we watch the Canadian geese migrate across our clear blue skies this Fall signaling the end of this year … we plant bulbs in our gardens that will come into full bloom as the 2012 Summit kicks off in Chicagoland next year. Stay tuned, more weather to share with you as we count down the months and days until Summit 2012! Elizabeth Burke is a member of the STC Chicago 2012 Host Committee and currently serves as the President of the STC Chicago chapter.