Ep. 268 Tornadoes, rain, and El Niño: Looking back and ahead at Illinois weather in 2026 | #GoodGrowing

Illinois has experienced no shortage of weather headlines this year. Check out this week's Good Growing Podcast as we talk with Illinois State Climatologist Dr. Trent Ford about a year of tornadoes, heavy rainfall, record hail, and sticky summer weather. Learn what fueled these weather events, why El Niño is making headlines, and what may be in store for us this fall and winter. Watch us on YouTube: https://youtu.be/7UM5oYiCkS4 Skip to what you want to know:    01:18 – Welcome, Trent! Recap of summer 2026 weather.  07:31 – Why were there so many tornadoes this year in Illinois?  12:15 – Why is there a bubble around Jacksonville (or other cities) that keeps the rain away?  14:59 – Does corn sweat keep the temperature slightly cooler than it could if there were less humidity?   20:37 – What do we have to look forward to this fall weather-wise?  26:36 – What is El Niño?  32:08 – Will the El Niño this year be like The Day After Tomorrow (weather chaos)?  43:44 – Will we still be at risk of having a polar vortex? Are they somehow linked to El Niño?  50:57 – Do we see more sudden stratospheric warming events with climate change?  55:03 – Does our climate and weather lag behind the CO2 effects in the atmosphere?   59:06 – 3d printing of state record hailstone  1:02:21 – Wrap-up, what’s up next week, and goodbye!  Illinois State Climatologist website Contact us! Chris Enroth: cenroth@illinois.eduKen Johnson: kjohnso@illinois.eduEmily Swihart: eswihart@illinois.edu  Check out the Good Growing Blog: https://go.illinois.edu/goodgrowingSubscribe to the weekly Good Growing email: https://go.illinois.edu/goodgrowingsubscribe Any products or companies mentioned during the podcast are in no way a promotion or endorsement of these products or companies.  Barnyard Bash: freesfx.co.uk --You can find us on most podcast platforms.  iTunes - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/good-growing/id1446630377     Tunein - https://tunein.com/podcasts/Gardening/Good-Growing-p1187964/  Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/202u3siWExE1tTqrVgtmCR    Vurbl - https://vurbl.com/station/good-growing-4pljnNlUtyG/    Listen notes - https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/good-growing-chris-enroth-cHLPMWpvEOG/    Ivy - https://ivy.fm/podcast/good-growing-167902    Castbox - https://castbox.fm/channel/Good-Growing-id4302614?country=us