Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS Central Illinois

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011 FXUS63 KILX 211703 AFDILX Area Forecast Discussion...Updated Aviation National Weather Service Lincoln IL 1203 PM CDT Fri Jun 21 2024 .KEY MESSAGES... - The recent stretch of hot weather will continue through Saturday as afternoon heat index readings peak in the upper 90s to around 100 degrees. - A cold front will bring a chance for thunderstorms to parts of central Illinois Saturday evening into Saturday night. A few of the storms could become strong to severe...particularly along and west of the I-55 corridor. && .SHORT TERM...(Today through Saturday) Issued at 344 AM CDT Fri Jun 21 2024 As upper ridging remains firmly in place across the Midwest/Ohio River Valley, hot and humid conditions will persist through Saturday. Any substantial convection will remain well N/NW of central Illinois as high temperatures climb into the middle 90s both days. Peak afternoon heat index readings will reach the upper 90s to around 100 degrees. A short-wave trough tracking through the Northern Plains into the Great Lakes will flatten the upper ridge and push a cold front toward central Illinois by late Saturday. 00z Jun 21 CAMs have slightly varying solutions concerning the exact speed of the front: however, overall consensus suggests it will get close enough to warrant low chance PoPs along/northwest of the Illinois River by late Saturday afternoon. The airmass ahead of the front will become moderately unstable...with HREF ensemble mean SBCAPEs peaking at 2000-2500J/kg across eastern/southern Iowa into northern Missouri after 21z Sat. As 0-6km bulk shear increases to 30-35kt ahead of the approaching short-wave, clusters of thunderstorms will develop along/ahead of the boundary with an attendant risk for large hail/damaging wind gusts. These cells will develop and/or spread southeastward into the NW KILX CWA toward sunset...then to near I-72 shortly before midnight. As daytime instability wanes, the risk for severe weather will rapidly diminish and areal coverage of convection will decrease further southeast overnight. At this time, it appears the highest probability for scattered hail and damaging wind gusts will be focused along/west of the I-55 corridor late Saturday afternoon and evening. Rainfall associated with the front will be greatest across the N/NW CWA...with decreasing amounts further southeast. 12z Jun 20 LREF indicates a high probability (greater than 50% chance) of 0.50 of rain or more along/north of a Macomb to Peoria line. Those probabilities drop to 20% or less along I-72 and less than 10% along/south of I-70. As a result, do not think the storms Saturday evening will do much to alleviate the developing drought conditions across much of central and southeast Illinois. Barnes .LONG TERM...(Sunday through Thursday) Issued at 344 AM CDT Fri Jun 21 2024 The cold front will settle southward to the Ohio River by Sunday afternoon. Have continued chance PoPs along/southeast of a Danville to Shelbyville line as the front passes...but am not expecting any substantial or widespread rainfall on Sunday. The main story will be the slightly cooler/less humid conditions as highs drop into the upper 80s to around 90 degrees. After a warm/dry day on Monday, another cold front will drop into the region by Tuesday. Temperatures will spike back into the middle 90s ahead of the boundary, potentially setting the stage for another round of scattered strong convection during the afternoon and evening. Once the second front passes, upper troughing over the Great Lakes will bring a more substantial cool-down for the end of next week as highs drop into the middle to upper 80s by Wednesday/Thursday. Barnes && .AVIATION...
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(For the 18z TAFs through 18z Saturday Afternoon) Issued at 1157 AM CDT Fri Jun 21 2024 A damping ridge aloft will help keep terminals at VFR through this TAF period. High clouds will increase later this evening into Saturday as a slow- moving cold front approaches from the northwest. Low- level winds will remain from the south through this evening, becoming southwest and increasing late Tuesday morning ahead of the front. MJA
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&& .ILX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... None. && $$