Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS Chicago, IL

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000 FXUS63 KLOT 180537 AFDLOT AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHICAGO/ROMEOVILLE IL 1237 AM CDT TUE JUN 18 2013 .DISCUSSION... 929 PM CDT A SCATTERING OF SHOWERS WITH A FEW STORMS HAVE SEEN AN OVERALL DIMINISHING IN COVERAGE SINCE 8 PM. ALMOST ALL NEW DEVELOPMENT IN THAT TIME HAS BEEN ON OUTFLOW FROM PRECEDING SHOWERS/STORMS...WITH THE 00Z DVN RAOB INDICATING INSTABILITY PRESENT FROM THE AFTERNOON MIXED LAYER. SOME FESTERING ON OUTFLOWS IS LIKELY TO CONTINUE ALTHOUGH EACH SUCCESSIVE REDEVELOPMENT SHOULD BE WEAKER. THE AREA WILL REMAIN UNDER A FAVORABLE MID-LEVEL JET REGION INTO OVERNIGHT...BUT THERE APPEARS TO BE A BREAK IN SHORT WAVES LET ALONE THE DIMINISHING OF THE INSTABILITY WITH THE TIME OF DAY. SO CONTINUE WITH NO SHOWERS FORECAST BY 1 AM. OUTFLOWS BROUGHT RAIN-COOLED AIR ALONG WITH THE MARINE LAYER INTO FAR NORTHEAST IL THAT CREATED A QUICK TEMPERATURE DROP. LOWS STILL LOOK ON TRACK FOR MOST AREAS...ALTHOUGH DID BRING DOWN THE FAR NORTHERN TWO TIERS OF COUNTIES A COUPLE DEGREES BASED ON THIS LOWER STARTING POINT GOING INTO THE NIGHT. IF WINDS WERE LIGHTER FOG MAY BE A CONCERN IN THOSE AREAS THAT SAW SHOWERS...BUT SPEEDS WILL STAY UP TONIGHT AS THE SYNOPTIC COLD FRONT WORKS THROUGH THE REGION. THE GOES WV LOOP SHOWS THE NEXT SHORT WAVE BEING WELL-DEFINED IN SOUTHEAST ND. THIS SMALL "BOWLING BALL" IN THE MID-LEVEL FLOW LOOKS TO TRACK ACROSS THE SOUTHWEST FORECAST AREA DURING TUE AFTERNOON. THE AMOUNT OF INSTABILITY ON GUIDANCE IS STRONGLY CORRELATED TO THE SURFACE DEW POINT FORECAST...WHICH COULD BE HIGH ON BOTH THE NAM AND GFS PER OBSERVATIONAL TRENDS AND INITIALIZATION /AT LEAST ON THE 18Z RUNS/. STILL ENOUGH TO WARRANT A SLIGHT CHANCE THOUGH...AS THERE CURRENTLY ARE STORMS WITH THE FEATURE IN THE DAKOTAS AT THIS HOUR. MTF //PREV DISCUSSION... 251 PM CDT TONIGHT... VISIBLE IMAGERY EARLY THIS AFTERNOON DEPICTS A CIRRUS SHIELD FROM SOUTHEAST IOWA STRETCHING NORTHEAST ALONG I-80 IN ILLINOIS INTO NORTHCENTRAL INDIANA. WATER VAPOR IMAGERY ALSO INDICATED AN ABUNDANCE OF UPR LEVEL MOISTURE ASSOCIATED WITH THE CLOUDS...HOWEVER SOME SUBSIDENCE WAS OCCURRING LATE THIS MORNING INTO THE AFTERNOON HOURS AS DEW POINTS AT THE SFC WERE DROPPING INTO THE MID/UPR 50S ACROSS THE CWFA. LLVL FLOW UNDER THE CLOUD SHIELD WAS GENERALLY SOUTHWESTERLY...WHILE FURTHER NORTH WINDS WERE WESTERLY. IT APPEARS THAT WHERE SKIES ARE MOSTLY SUNNY SLIGHTLY BETTER MIXING WAS OCCURRING...WHICH WAS ALSO AIDING IN THE SUBSIDENCE AT THE SFC. THE FOCUS FOR LATER THIS AFTERNOON/EVENING IS ON THE APPROACHING FRONTAL BOUNDARY AND POTENTIAL FOR ISOLATED SHOWERS/THUNDERSTORMS ALONG/JUST AHEAD OF THIS BOUNDARY. VISIBLE IMAGERY DOES SHOW A NARROW CHANNEL OF A CUMULUS FIELD DEVELOPING ACROSS CENTRAL WISC THIS AFTERNOON...STRETCHING NORTHWEST THROUGH MINN. A WEAK MID-LVL WAVE WAS SLIDING SOUTHEAST THE UPPER MIDWEST...WHICH WILL BE THE DRIVER FOR SOME ADDED LIFT INTO THIS CUMULUS FIELD. AS EXPECTED ISOLATED SHOWERS/THUNDERSTORMS WERE DEVELOPING UNDER THIS CHANNEL OF CUMULUS ACROSS CENTRAL WISC/EASTERN MINN. MID-LVLS ARE MUCH COOLER...WITH STEEP LAPSE RATES TO THE NORTH ACROSS WISC. THIS SUGGESTS THAT A FEW THUNDERSTORMS COULD EASILY GROW VERTICALLY AND POSSIBLY PRODUCE SOME HAIL. FEEL THAT MOST OF THE LATE AFTN/EARLY EVENING WILL END UP BEING DRY FOR THE CWFA. GUIDANCE CONTINUES TO SUGGEST THAT THE BEST CHC FOR ANY PRECIP WILL LIKELY OCCUR AFT 00Z. WITH MUCH OF THE CONVECTIVE POTENTIAL BEING DIURNALLY DRIVEN...EXPECT THAT ARND 2-3Z THE INSTABILITY TO GREATLY DIMINISH. AT THIS TIME WILL HOLD ONTO THE SLIGHT CHC OF TSRA WORDING THRU 3Z. ACROSS THE NORTH...THEN LINGER THE TSRA WORDING THRU 06Z FOR THE SOUTHEAST CWFA. EARLIER THINKING WAS THAT THIS BOUNDARY WOULD END UP BEING A BACK DOOR COLD FRONT...AND THIS APPEARS TO BE THE CASE BASED ON CURRENT CONDS TO THE NORTH. CLOUD COVER SHUD BE SLOWLY THINNING OVERNIGHT TO A P-CLOUDY SKY...WITH WINDS TURNING NORTHERLY POST FRONTAL PASSAGE. THIS WILL USHER IN MUCH COOLER AIR AND ALLOW TEMPS TO EASILY RADIATE INTO THE MID/UPR 50S. CONFIDENCE IN TEMPERATURES...HIGH. CONFIDENCE IN PRECIPITATION/THUNDERSTORMS...LOW/MEDIUM. TUESDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY... INITIAL GLANCE IS THAT TUE WOULD BE DRY...HOWEVER THE CONCERN IS ON THE SOUTHEAST DIVING 500MB VORT THAT WILL BE ARRIVING ACROSS THE WESTERN CWFA MID/LATE MORNING AND PIVOTING EAST BY THE MID-AFTERNOON HOURS. THIS MAY PROVIDE ENOUGH LIFT...COUPLED WITH DIURNAL CUMULUS TUE...AND SOME MOISTURE FROM THE BOUNDARY TO ALLOW A FEW THUNDERSTORMS TO DEVELOP. WITH TEMPS ALOFT STEADILY COOLING ACROSS THE CWFA...LAPSE RATES WILL STEEPEN AND A FEW STRONGER STORMS COULD EASILY PRODUCE SOME PEA SIZE HAIL...BRIEF WIND GUSTS AND HEAVY DOWNPOURS. THE FOCUS APPEARS TO BE ALONG AND SOUTH OF A ROCKFORD TO BENTON COUNTY LINE. OTHERWISE ANTI-CYCLONIC FLOW WILL CONTINUE TO SETTLE INTO THE GREAT LAKES REGION...AND KEEP A NORTHEAST FLOW AT THE SFC. THIS WILL EASILY AID IN THE MUCH COOLER MARINE ENVIRONMENT ADVECTING INLAND ACROSS THE CWFA AND KEEP SFC TEMPS IN THE LOW/MID 70S...EXCEPT THE FAR SOUTH/SOUTHWEST WHERE TEMPS MAY STILL TOUCH 80 DEG IN THE AFTN. LOCATIONS IMMEDIATELY ADJACENT TO LAKE MICHIGAN MAY HAVE TEMPS REMAIN IN THE MID 60S TUE. OVERNIGHT TEMPS WILL BE MUCH COOLER IN THE LOW/MID 50S. A FEW LOCATIONS ALONG AND NORTH OF A ROCKFORD...AURORA...WAUKEGAN LINE MAY HAVE TEMPS IN THE UPR 40S EARLY WED MORNING. THEN HIGH PRESSURE BEGINS TO DRIFT EAST. WHILE WINDS WILL BE MORE EASTERLY OFF OF THE LAKE...TEMPS WILL BE SLIGHTLY WARMER WED AFTN IN THE UPR 70S TO LOW 80S. THE EXCEPTION WILL BE AREAS ADJACENT TO LAKE MICHIGAN...WHERE TEMPS WILL LIKELY REMAIN IN THE 60S TO LOW 70S. CONFIDENCE...HIGH. THURSDAY THROUGH SUNDAY... ENSEMBLES CONTINUES TO POINT TOWARDS A PATTERN CHANGE FOR THE END OF THE WEEK INTO THE WEEKEND. MANY GUIDANCE MEMBERS ARE IN AGREEMENT THAT THE 500MB TROUGH OVER THE GREAT LAKES REGION WILL PIVOT EAST THUR...WITH A STRENGTHENING MID-LVL RIDGE ACROSS THE CENTRAL PLAINS REPLACING THE DEPARTING TROUGH FRI. THE RIDGE DOES APPEAR TO FLATTEN SLIGHTLY...WHICH MAY BE AN INDICATION THAT A SLIGHTLY ACTIVE PERIOD MAY ACCOMPANY THE STEADY WARMING TREND. 850MB THERMAL RIDGE CONTINUES TO BE RATHER WARM FOR THE WEEKEND...WITH TEMPS GENERALLY AROUND 20-22 DEG C. THE EC/GEM HAVE TAKEN A SLIGHTLY COOLER APPROACH WITH 18-20 DEG C...HOWEVER THE OVERALL THEME IS THAT TEMPS WILL BE STEADILY WARMING. THE WILDCARD FOR MAX TEMPS SAT/SUN/MON...WILL BE LLVL MOISTURE AND CLOUD COVER. GUIDANCE CONTINUES TO SUGGEST DEW POINTS WILL GENERALLY BE AROUND 70 DEG. THIS MAY SLOW THE DIURNAL CURVE FOR THE WEEKEND...HOWEVER TEMPS SHUD EASILY STILL WARM INTO THE UPR 80S TO POSSIBLY LOWER 90S. AS A RESULT HAVE NUDGED TEMPS WARMER THAN GUIDANCE FOR THE UPCOMING WEEKEND. CONFIDENCE IN TEMPERATURES...MEDIUM/HIGH. CONFIDENCE IN PRECIPITATION/THUNDERSTORMS...MEDIUM. BEACHLER && .AVIATION...
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//ORD AND MDW CONCERNS...UPDATED 06Z... * POTENTIAL FOR LOW CIGS OVERNIGHT. BMD //DISCUSSION...UPDATED 06Z... A COLD FRONT HAS DROPPED SOUTH ACROSS THE TERMINALS LEAVING NORTHEAST FLOW OVER NORTHERN ILLINOIS AS HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS ACROSS THE PLAINS AND NORTHERN LAKES REGION. THE HIGH IS EXPECTED TO VERY GRADUALLY CONSOLIDATE AND SINK SOUTH TOWARDS NORTHERN LAKE MICHIGAN THROUGH THE DAY TUESDAY LEADING TO VERY LITTLE CHANCE IN THE WEATHER THROUGH THE FORECAST PERIOD. WINDS WILL PICK UP WITH ONSET OF MIXING DURING THE DAY TUESDAY...THEN SHOULD DIMINISH AFTER SUNSET. VFR CLOUDS EXPECTED THROUGH THE PERIOD...BUT CONTINUE TO MONITOR CLOSELY THE CHANCE FOR LOWER CIGS DEVELOPING OVERNIGHT INTO THE EARLY MORNING HOURS. NAM/RAP SOUNDINGS CONTINUE TO ADVERTISE THE POTENTIAL FOR IFR CIGS TO DEVELOP AS THE COLUMN COOLS...BUT SEE NO SIGN OF THIS YET UPSTREAM AND OTHER MODELS AS LESS BULLISH ON THE DEVELOPMENT. NAM HAS A TENDENCY TO OVERDO LOW LEVEL MOISTURE SO FOR NOW WILL MONITOR CLOSELY. IF LOW CIGS DO DEVELOP THE BEST TIME FRAME WOULD BE ROUGHLY 09-14Z. BMD //ORD AND MDW CONFIDENCE...UPDATED 06Z... * LOW CONFIDENCE IN LOW CIGS DEVELOPING. * HIGH CONFIDENCE IN OTHER FORECAST ELEMENTS. BMD //OUTLOOK FOR ORD/MDW FOR 12Z WEDNESDAY-12Z MONDAY...UPDATED 00Z... WEDNESDAY...VFR. THURSDAY...VFR. FRIDAY...VFR EARLY...CHANCE OF TSRA OVERNIGHT. SATURDAY AND SUNDAY...PERIODIC CHANCES FOR TSRA. LENNING
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&& .MARINE... 245 PM CDT A STRETCH OF RELATIVELY QUIET WEATHER IS STILL IN THE FORECAST FOR LAKE MICHIGAN OVER MUCH OF THE UPCOMING WEAK. A TROUGH OF LOW PRESSURE AND AN ASSOCIATED WEAK COLD FRONT...EXTEND FROM NORTHERN MAINE WEST THROUGH CENTRAL LAKE MICHIGAN. AS THE LOW MOVES OFF TO THE EAST...THE FRONT WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE SOUTH DOWN THE LAKE...REACHING THE SOUTHERN TIP OF THE LAKE BY LATE THIS EVENING. WINDS WILL SHIFT TO NORTHERLY BEHIND THE FRONT...WITH OCCASIONAL GUSTS TO 25 KT TONIGHT. HIGH PRESSURE OVER THE NORTHERN PLAINS WILL SPREAD EAST ACROSS THE GREAT LAKES LATE TONIGHT AND TOMORROW...WITH HIGH PRESSURE REMAINING THE DOMINANT FEATURE OVER THE LAKE THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT WHEN THE HIGH WILL BEGIN TO SLIDE OFF TO THE EAST. IN THE MEAN TIME...LOW PRESSURE DEVELOPING OVER THE NORTHERN ROCKIES WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND WILL MOVE OVER THE NORTHERN PLAINS BY FRIDAY MORNING. WITH THE HIGH PRESSURE TO THE EAST AND THE DEVELOPING TROUGH TO THE WEST...WINDS WILL BECOME SOUTHERLY BY WEDNESDAY OR WEDNESDAY NIGHT...THROUGH THE WEEKEND. && .LOT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... IL...BEACH HAZARDS STATEMENT...ILZ006-ILZ014...1 PM TUESDAY TO 4 AM WEDNESDAY. IN...BEACH HAZARDS STATEMENT...INZ001-INZ002...1 PM TUESDAY TO 4 AM WEDNESDAY. LM...NONE. && $$ VISIT US AT HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/CHICAGO (ALL LOWERCASE) FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK...TWITTER...AND YOUTUBE AT: WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/US.NATIONALWEATHERSERVICE.CHICAGO.GOV WWW.TWITTER.COM/NWSCHICAGO WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/NWSCHICAGO

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