>> HAVE >> YOU PULLED OUT YOUR SHORTS YET?

OKAY.

IT MIGHT BE A BIT EARLY FOR THAT.

DESPITE TEMPERATURES REACHING A HIGH OF 57 DEGREES TODAY AS CHICAGO EXPERIENCES NINO YEAR 2024.

SEEING TEMPERATURES ABOUT ONE TO 3 DEGREES ABOVE AVERAGE.

JOINING US NOW TO TALK MORE ABOUT THE IMPACT IS STATE CLIMATOLOGIST TRENT FOR TRENT.

THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.

I HAVE TO SAY I WALKED OUT WITH THE JACKET THIS MORNING TO WALK MY DOGS AND I INSTANTLY LIKE I COULD TAKE IT OFF.

CAN YOU TELL ME WHAT IS LEADING TO THIS UNSEASONABLE WARM TEMPERATURE WE'RE SEEING TODAY?

>> YEAH, IT IS PRETTY SURPRISING.

EVEN DOWN HERE IN CHAMPAIGN.

YEAH, WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO GET AWAY WITHOUT JACKETS FOR THE LAST COUPLE OF DAYS.

SO YEAH, LIKE YOU MENTIONED OPENING.

I MEAN, WE'RE WHAT'S GOING LENO, A PATTERN, WHICH IS JUST A UNUSUALLY WARM SEA SURFACE TEMPERATURES IN THE TROPICAL PACIFIC.

AND BECAUSE THE PACIFIC IS SO LARGE, HUGE ENERGY SOURCE IT IT REALLY AFFECTS OF GLOBAL WEATHER AND CLIMATE.

WHEN WE SWITCH FROM EL NINO AND ITS COUSIN LA NINA.

AND SO WHEN WE'RE IN AN EL NINO EVENT, TYPICALLY MEANS A BIT OF A OF A FLAT JET STREAM FLOW, WHICH MEANS WE'RE GETTING MILD PACIFIC AIR MILES GULF OF MEXICO AIR.

AND IT KEEPS OUR TEMPERATURES ON THE MILD SIDE DEFINITELY OUT WARM BY ANY MEANS IN CHICAGO IN FEBRUARY, BUT ON THE MILD SIDE.

IT ALSO KEEPS US A BIT DRY, WHICH IS WHAT WE'VE SEEN.

THE AT LEAST THE FIRST WEEK OF FEBRUARY.

>> AND CAN THE WEATHER CAN WINTER WEATHER GIVE US AN INDICATION OF WHAT'S TO COME IN SPRING OR SUMMER?

WHY OR WHY NOT?

>> NOT YOU KNOW WHAT?

WE DON'T REALLY GET ANY KIND OF SIGNAL OF OF WHAT'S TO COME IN THE SPRING OR THE SUMMER.

AS FAR AS TEMPERATURES ARE CONCERNED.

SO THE FACT THAT WE'RE MILD NOW DOESN'T NECESSARILY MEAN THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE BLAZING HOT SUMMER TIME OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.

THERE'S REALLY NO RELATIONSHIP THERE.

ONE OF THE REASON BEING IS THAT EVEN THOUGH ON THE NEWS PLAYING A REALLY BIG ROLE IN OUR WEATHER AND CLIMATE RIGHT NOW, IT TENDS TO WEAKEN IN THE SUMMERTIME, ESPECIALLY IMPACT ON OUR WEATHER AND CLIMATE AND THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORECAST ON THE NEWS LIKELY TO WEAKEN THROUGH THE SPRING AND MAYBE DIE BY THE SUMMERTIME.

SO PROBABLY WON'T EVEN BE A FACTOR.

SO, YOU KNOW, WE WHAT WE SEE RIGHT NOW IN THE WINTERTIME DOESN'T RELIEF FOR 10, REALLY ANYTHING FOR SPRING OR SUMMER.

>> AND TRY AND JUST CURIOUS, DO YOU FIND MOST FASCINATING WHEN YOU'RE DOING THIS WORK AND LIKE YOU SAID TODAY, IT'S ALSO WARM AND CHAMPAGNE.

WHAT DO YOU FIND MOST FASCINATING.

>> OH, MAN.

THAT'S A TOUGH QUESTION.

I MEAN WHETHER IS JIMMY IS SO VARIABLE, ESPECIALLY HERE IN ILLINOIS.

AND THIS IS GOING TO THE BEST PLACE TO STUDY WEATHER AND CLIMATE BECAUSE IT'S IT'S IT'S ALWAYS CHANGING.

WE GET LOTS OF INTERESTING THINGS.

WE'VE HAD TORNADO WARNINGS EVEN THE CHICAGO CWA.

THE CHICAGO AREA HAS A TORNADO WARNINGS TODAY.

AND, YOU KNOW, YOU COMPARE THAT TO NEXT THIS WEEKEND.

WE MAY GET SOME SNOW HERE IN CENTRAL ILLINOIS.

AND WE'LL BE TALKING ABOUT SPRING TEMPERATURES COMING YOU KNOW, IN MARCH.

SO IT'S JUST A REALLY EXCITING PLACE TO STUDY WHETHER INCLINED ON THE FLIP SIDE BECAUSE WE GET SO MUCH SEVERE WEATHER AND IMPACTFUL WEATHER.

IT COULD BE A LITTLE CHALLENGING TO WORK WITH SEEING SOME OF THE IMPACTS OF FLOODING AND EXTREME HEAT.

BUT NONETHELESS, IT'S IT'S ALWAYS BUSY WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT WEATHER AND CLIMATE, ILLINOIS.

>> I LOVE PASSION ABOUT THAT.

WHAT COULD AMOUNT SPRING MEAN FOR TREES AND OTHER PLANTS?

>> THAT'S THE ONE THING MENTION THERE WASN'T RELATION BETWEEN WINTER AND SPRING TEMPERATURES.

BUT IF WE CONTINUE THIS MILD TREND LIKE WE'RE SUPPOSED TO THROUGH THE REST OF WINTER AND MAYBE INTO EARLY SPRING, WE COULD ON EARLY PERFORMANCE.

HE BREAK FROM OUR TREES ARE ARE PERENNIALS IN ARCO TO CULTURAL CROPS.

SO IF YOU KNOW YOU'RE OUT THERE, YOU GARDENING WATCHING A NEIGHBORHOOD TREES.

THIS IS SOMETHING TO WATCH FOR.

NOT RIGHT NOW.

BUT AS WE GET CLOSE TO MARCH TO SEE IF WE SEE MAYBE EARLY BUT BREAK WHAT THAT COULD DO, IT'S NOT A GUARANTEE.

BUT WHAT IT COULD DO IS PUT THOSE TREES AND ESPECIALLY TREATING TREES AT ADDED RISK OF A OF SPRING FREEZE DAMAGE BECAUSE EVEN IF WE HAVE A MILD SPRING, IT TELLS US NOTHING ABOUT LIKELIHOOD OF GETTING A LATE SPRING FREE.

SO THAT'S REALLY THE ONE THING WHEN WE HAVE THESE MILD WINTER TEMPERATURES, MILDER SPRING TEMPERATURES.

SO ONE THING WE ASKS A TO KIND OF WATCH FOR IF WE'RE SEEING THAT EARLY DORMANCY BREAK FROM THOSE TREES THAT'S THAT'S WHAT I WAS ABOUT TO ASK YOU.

HOW DO YOU HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS WITH PLAN?

IS ENTHUSIASTS, PEOPLE WHO ARE READY TO PLANT THEIR PLANS?

THOSE CONVERSATIONS LIKE?

>> YEAH, IT'S REALLY MORE ABOUT FOR THE PERENNIALS.

JUST, YOU KNOW, IF FOLKS WHO ARE WORKING IN THEIR YARDS, THE GUARDS, THE NEIGHBORHOOD SAY NO, THERE ARE PLANS BETTER THAN I DO.

SO THEY'RE WATCHING THEY KNOW.

BUT JUST SOMETHING TO KIND OF KIND OF BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR A RIGHT TO SAY, OKAY, IF YOUR OWN PEACHES, FOR EXAMPLE, OR YOU'VE GOT A NICE APPLE TREE, THEY LIKE TO PICK FROM THE SUMMERTIME.

JUST WATCH IT AND MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE YOU KNOW, YOU'RE TAKING PRECAUTIONS AS IT NEEDS TO BE.

IF IT'S OPENING UP EARLY AS FAR AS PLANTING PLANTS.

AGAIN, JUST REMEMBERING THAT EVEN IF WE GET A LITTLE BIT WARMER THAN NORMAL EARLY SPRING, IT DOESN'T MEAN WE WON'T HAVE A TIMELY OR LATE SPRING FREEZE.

SO IT'S ALWAYS GOOD TO BE PATIENT WHEN PLANTING THOSE TOMATOES AND THINGS LIKE YOU KNOW, JUST BECAUSE WE GET THAT ONE WARM-UP IN MARCH DOESN'T MEAN THAT YOU CAN THROW HIM IN THE GROUND WILL BE ALL SOCIO PATIENTS DURING THAT DURING THE DURING THE SPRING COMING TO TAKE CLIENT TO BUILD A WHOLE GARDEN OUTSIDE MY BACKYARD.

>> NOW, SINCE CHICAGO, IT SEEMS LIKE THERE'S A WEEK WHERE IT'S REALLY COLD THEN IT'S REALLY WARM.

KENNY, WE US EXPECT THE REST OF THE WINTER TO BE THIS MILD.

>> SO LIKELY IF IF THE OUTLOOKS ARE RIGHT FOR THE REST OF FEBRUARY, WHICH ENDS KIND OF LOGIC, WINTER IS LIKELY TO BE MILD THROUGHOUT NEXT FEW WEEKS UNTIL THE END OF FEBRUARY.

IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT WE WON'T GET SOME SHOTS OF COLD AIR, BUT THERE'S NOTHING ON THE OUTLOOK OFFICIALS, ANYTHING LIKE WHAT WE SAW IN MID-JANUARY WITH WE