Northerly winds gusting as high as 30 mph produced high waves on May 28th. The Wilmette buoy reported 3 to 4 foot waves when a 32 year old man was found unresponsive in Lake Michigan near Diversey Harbor.
Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.
The episode as NWS LOT wrote it up.
Northerly winds gusting as high as 30 mph produced high waves on May 28th. The Wilmette buoy reported 3 to 4 foot waves when a 32 year old man was found unresponsive in Lake Michigan near Diversey Harbor. He was taken to a local hospital where he died.
The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.
NWS Chicago, IL wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at May 28, 12:50 PM CST, 1 hour 10 minutes earlier. Its key messages:
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Chicago/Romeoville, IL
150 PM CDT Thu May 28 2026
.KEY MESSAGES...
- A stagnant, predominantly precipitation free pattern will
prevail through at least mid next week, with seasonably warm
daytimes inland, and cooler temperatures closer to the lake.
- After swimming conditions improve this evening, hazardous to
dangerous conditions may redevelop at Lake Michigan beaches on
Saturday.
&&
.DISCUSSION...
Issued at 150 PM CDT Thu May 28 2026
Persistent western CONUS troughing and northeastern North
America troughing will result in a sharp "omega block" type
ridge extending into central Canada through midweek next week.
Expansive, seasonably strong surface high pressure from Hudson
Bay to the Great Lakes will lock in warm regime, though it will
be cooler by the lake. In addition, synoptic easterly low level
flow will be prone to dew points mixing out daily (and likely
running below much of the guidance), keeping better column and
low level moisture, and any associated precip chances west of
the MS River. This will also result in comfortable overnight-
early morning conditions outside of Chicago.
The backdoor frontal passage that brought dangerous swimming
conditions to the beaches today and lake cooling extending much
farther inland will revert to a classic lake breeze type setup
on Friday. Another backdoor frontal passage early Saturday will
bring a repeat of similar conditions to those of today.
Hazardous to dangerous (moderate to high swim risk) conditions
may redevelop at Lake Michigan beaches, which may necessitate a
Beach Hazards Statement for at least portions of the shoreline
Saturday.
Signs are pointing toward the blocking regime finally breaking
down later next week, which may enable some spotty precip
chances to return as dew points become a bit more early June-like.
Castro
&&
.AVIATION /18Z TAFS THROUGH 00Z SATURDAY/...
Issued at 1246 PM CDT Thu May 28 2026
Northeasterly winds 10-15kt will continue until sunset. There
will likely be a few gusts to near 20 kt at times this
afternoon. Winds will diminish this evening and likely become
calm or light/variable overnight into Friday morning. Another
lake breeze Friday afternoon will likely result in east-
northeast winds picking up again during the early-mid afternoon
at ORD and MDW.
VFR conditions are expect through the TAF cycle.
- Izzi
&&
.LOT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
IL...Beach Hazards Statement until 10 PM CDT this evening for
ILZ006-ILZ103-ILZ104.
IN...Beach Hazards Statement until 10 PM CDT this evening for
INZ001-INZ002.
LM...Small Craft Advisory until 7 PM CDT this evening for the IL
and IN nearshore waters.
&&
Visit us at weather.gov/chicagoHazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Chicago/Romeoville IL 341 AM CDT Thu May 28 2026 ILZ003>006-008-010>013-019>021-023-032-033-039-103>108-INZ001-002- 010-011-019-290845- Winnebago-Boone-McHenry-Lake IL-Ogle-Lee-De Kalb-Kane-DuPage- La Salle-Kendall-Grundy-Kankakee-Livingston-Iroquois-Ford- Northern Cook-Central Cook-Southern Cook-Northern Will- Southern Will-Eastern Will-Lake IN-Porter-Newton-Jasper-Benton- 341 AM CDT Thu May 28 2026 /441 AM EDT Thu May 28 2026/ This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of north central Illinois...northeast Illinois and northwest Indiana. .DAY ONE...Today and Tonight. Weather hazards expected... High Swim Risk Lake Michigan Beaches. DISCUSSION... Breezy northeast winds will result in building waves and dangerous rip currents at southern Lake Michigan beaches through this evening. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Friday through Wednesday. No hazardous weather is expected at this time. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation will not be necessary through tonight. LMZ740>745-290845- Winthrop Harbor to Wilmette Harbor IL- Wilmette Harbor to Northerly Island IL- Northerly Island to Calumet Harbor IL- Calumet Harbor IL to Gary IN-Gary to Burns Harbor IN- Burns Harbor to Michigan City IN- 341 AM CDT Thu May 28 2026 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of the Illinois nearshore waters of Lake Michigan and the Indiana nearshore waters of Lake Michigan. .DAY ONE...Today and Tonight. Weather hazards expected... Hazardous conditions for small craft. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Friday through Wednesday. No hazardous weather is expected at this time. Petr Visit us at www.weather.gov/chicago
1 high surf. Local standard time, as filed.
A 32 year old man was found unresponsive in Lake Michigan near Diversey Harbor and was taken to a local hospital in crticial condition and later died. It was unclear whether tha man was swimming or boating.
As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.
| Event | Date | Age | Sex | Where | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High Surf, Cook | 2026-05-28 | 32 | Male | In Water | Direct |
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Illinois in 2026Every state in 2026This day in weather historyWarnings in Illinois, May 2026
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 1333527.