Max Connell

Atmospheric Science Major

[Bob Waszak @nilwxreports]

**An even more concerning severe weather outbreak is on the table for Thursday across northern Illinois**

- Thursday looks like the real deal for northern Illinois as models last night and this morning show a rather volatile environment tomorrow late morning and afternoon. Storms will likely be ongoing tomorrow morning across Iowa and these will progress east towards northern Illinois by midday. Thursday afternoon will be the start of the severe weather threats as storms evolve across northwest Illinois. All hazards will be on the table including destructive wind gusts greater than 75 mph, destructive hail potential larger than golf balls, and tornadoes, cant rule out a strong tornado. There could be a couple waves of severe weather tomorrow afternoon and evening but an organized squall line will be the main event which will move through late afternoon and evening.

- The ceiling for destructive winds and at least embedded qlcs tornadoes tomorrow are rather elevated. A tornado outbreak could occur as well across southern Wisconsin and potentially northern Illinois near the warm front. An upgrade to a moderate risk is likely in the near future for northern Illinois into southern Wisconsin.

- It will surely be a day to monitor the radar and be prepared to seek shelter indoors when storms arrive. Travel plans in and out of Chicago from 4pm-9pm will be heavily effected by storms. #ilwx

[Max Connell @MaxConnell3]

@nilwxreports Was 7.6 the official at the Rockford Airport?

[Max Connell @MaxConnell3]

@CadenConsidine1 @BretBielema @IlliniFootball @Recruit2Illini @PrepRedzoneIL @byronhsad Congrats Caden! You’ve got a bright future ahead of you. Keep working.

[Max Connell @MaxConnell3]

@NWSIndianapolis ~6.2 inches

[Max Connell @MaxConnell3]

@NWSIndianapolis Final snowfall total in West Lafayette

[Max Connell @MaxConnell3]

@NWSIndianapolis just measured 5 inches on the snow board here in West Lafayette as of 5:45 pm EST.

[Rockford Register Star @rrstar]

Photos: Byron crushes playoff rival IC Catholic to advance to semi. See photos https://t.co/nR0uYa54hY

[Shimdog @Shimdog181]

Byron defeats IC Catholic 28-6 @ViewFromWestPod @NUICFootball

Small programming break as I head to Stockton, thanks for following along!

[Max Connell @MaxConnell3]

@20UnDiSpuTed13 @nilwxreports I don’t know the exact threshold, but essentially big lake effect snow events are relatively rare at any time of winter for Chicago let alone early November.

[Max Connell @MaxConnell3]

@NUICFootball 3A bracket looks pretty tough this year with Richmond Burton down a class. Plus theres a ton of Catholic schools in the northern bracket.

[JD Vance @JDVance]

A while ago, probably in 2017, I appeared on Tucker Carlson's Fox show to talk about God knows what. Afterwards a name I barely knew sent me a DM on twitter and told me I did a great job. It was Charlie Kirk, and that moment of kindness began a friendship that lasted until today.

Charlie was fascinated by ideas and always willing to learn and change his mind. Like me, he was skeptical of Donald Trump in 2016. Like me, he came to see President Trump as the only figure capable of moving American politics away from the globalism that had dominated for our entire lives. When others were right, he learned from them. When he was right--as he usually was--he was generous. With Charlie, the attitude was never, "I told you so." But: "welcome."

Charlie was one of the first people I called when I thought about running for senate in early 2021. I was interested but skeptical there was a pathway. We talked through everything, from the strategy to the fundraising to the grassroots of the movement he knew so well. He introduced me to some of the people who would run my campaign and also to Donald Trump Jr. "Like his dad, he's misunderstood. He's extremely smart, and very much on our wavelength." Don took a call from me because Charlie asked him too.

Long before I ever committed (even in my mind) to running, Charlie had me speak to his donors at a TPUSA event. He walked me around the room and introduced me. He gave me honest feedback on my remarks. He had no reason to do this, no expectation that I'd go anywhere. I was polling, at that point, well below 5 percent. He did it because we were friends, and because he was a good man.

When I became the VP nominee--something Charlie advocated for both in public and private--Charlie was there for me. I was so glad to be part of the president's team, but candidly surprised by the effect it had on our family. Our kids, especially our oldest, struggled with the attention and the constant presence of the protective detail. I felt this acute sense of guilt, that I had conscripted my kids into this life without getting their permission. And Charlie was constantly calling and texting, checking on our family and offering guidance and prayers. Some of our most successful events were organized not by the campaign, but by TPUSA. He wasn't just a thinker, he was a doer, turning big ideas into bigger events with thousands of activists. And after every event, he would give me a big hug, tell me he was praying for me, and ask me what he could do. "You focus on Wisconsin," he'd tell me. "Arizona is in the bag." And it was.

Charlie genuinely believed in and loved Jesus Christ. He had a profound faith. We used to argue about Catholicism and Protestantism and who was right about minor doctrinal questions. Because he loved God, he wanted to understand him.

Someone else pointed out that Charlie died doing what he loved: discussing ideas. He would go into these hostile crowds and answer their questions. If it was a friendly crowd, and a progressive asked a question to jeers from the audience, he'd encourage his fans to calm down and let everyone speak. He exemplified a foundational virtue of our Republic: the willingness to speak openly and debate ideas.

Charlie had an uncanny ability to know when to push the envelope and when to be more conventional. I've seen people attack him for years for being wrong on this or that issue publicly, never realizing that privately he was working to broaden the scope of acceptable debate.

He was a great family man. I was talking to President Trump in the Oval Office today, and he said, "I know he was a very good friend of yours." I nodded silently, and President Trump observed that Charlie really loved his family. The president was right. Charlie was so proud of Erika and the two kids. He was so happy to be a father. And he felt such gratitude for having found a woman of God with whom he could build a family.

Charlie Kirk was a true friend. The kind of guy you could say something to and know it would always stay with him. I am on more than a few group chats with Charlie and people he introduced me to over the years. We celebrate weddings and babies, bust each other's chops, and mourn the loss of loved ones. We talk about politics and policy and sports and life. These group chats include people at the very highest level of our government. They trusted him, loved him, and knew he'd always have their backs. And because he was a true friend ,you could instinctively trust the people Charlie introduced you to. So much of the success we've had in this administration traces directly to Charlie's ability to organize and convene. He didn't just help us win in 2024, he helped us staff the entire government.

I was in a meeting in the West Wing when those group chats started lighting up with people telling Charlie they were praying for him. And that's how I learned the news that my friend had been shot. I prayed a lot over the next hour, as first good news and then bad trickled in.

God didn't answer those prayers, and that's OK. He had other plans. And now that Charlie is in heaven, I'll ask him to talk to big man directly on behalf of his family, his friends, and the country he loved so dearly.

You ran a good race, my friend.

We've got it from here.

[Max Connell @MaxConnell3]

@isaacj_28 @itsAntWright My goat @isaacj_28

[Max Connell @MaxConnell3]

@nilwxreports My parents place in Byron actually verified with 1.62”

[Max Connell @MaxConnell3]

@HaterReport_ This aged well

[Boiler Burner @BoilerBurner1]

Purdue’s defense and rebounding is at an elite level right now.

The Boilers are peaking in March once more. Here, Charles Barkley and the CBS studio “give @CoachPainter his flowers”.

🐐💐

[Murray State Women's Basketball @RacersWBB]

A date with the Hawkeyes on deck...

#GoRacers🏇

[Dr. Levi Cowan @TropicalTidbits]

I never publicly comment on political matters because they are usually irrelevant to my work of providing hurricane data and forecasts to people in my personal capacity. Today though, it is highly relevant, and as a member of the meteorological community, I am angry.

Planned or ongoing bulk workforce cuts would irreparably harm the National Weather Service, NOAA, and their scientists who save innumerable lives by warning people in advance of tornadoes, hurricanes, wildfires, tsunamis, blizzards, and other life-threatening hazards. Many of you reading this may knowingly or unknowingly be alive today because of their work, or know someone who is. As a direct consequence of wounding the NWS and NOAA, the public would be less safe.

My personal mission to bring hurricane science, data, and forecasts to the public would not be possible without the weather observations, doppler radar stations, computer models, hurricane hunter aircraft, and weather satellites provided by NOAA and the NWS. Your favorite weather apps, TV meteorologists, and private weather companies would also be unable to function without this data or the civil servants who live and breathe it to synthesize it into public safety information.

All of these benefits cost each taxpayer the equivalent of a few cups of coffee per year, and surveys show most would be willing to pay much more. The American weather enterprise saves many, many times more money than it costs to run, making it one of the biggest bangs for your buck in the government. The impact of quality weather forecasts and infrastructure on society is multiplied many-fold by preventing economic disruptions, keeping public transportation efficient, and providing lead time to prepare for and mitigate disasters. Most importantly, it saves priceless lives.

Careful, long-term plans to streamline or reorient the weather enterprise in an evolving world are not bad, but *this plan* is insane. A feverish rush to take a cleaver to this workforce is self-destructive and dangerous to Americans who rely on the services they provide. It also cuts off the legs of young, passionate scientists who represent the future of meteorology in the new age of AI and other emerging technologies -- the very people we need in the field right now.

As a part of this community since the age of 8 when I began analyzing hurricanes with dial-up internet, I am heartbroken and concerned by what appears to be planned or already in motion. It also directly impacts my friends and family. I cannot be silent, despite knowing I do myself no favors by speaking out. I ask you to join me in advocating for @NWS and @NOAA if you value their work or the work that I am able to do because of them. There are many ways to make your voice heard.

That's all for now, thanks for reading.

[Max Connell @MaxConnell3]

@camsull_ Thought Braden low key was getting locked up today. They had a good game plan. I just think that someone else needs to step up and score, otherwise they lose if Braden plays bad.

[Max Connell @MaxConnell3]

@camsull_ Yeah that was wild