Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS Chicago, IL

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997 FXUS63 KLOT 080555 AFDLOT Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Chicago/Romeoville, IL 1255 AM CDT Sat Jun 8 2024 .KEY MESSAGES...
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- Isolated to scattered rain showers expected today. A repeat of the washout last Saturday is not expected. - Pleasant conditions are expected Sunday through the middle of next week with limited (15% or lower) chances for rain and seasonable temperatures. - A shift toward warmer temperatures and higher humidity appears on track to arrive after the 2nd week of June.
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&& .UPDATE... Issued at 959 PM CDT Fri Jun 7 2024 Incoming evening guidance suggests there may be an increasing chance for a few thunderstorms tomorrow towards midday and into the afternoon. While the severe weather threat remains low, trends have been towards perhaps a bit more availability of surface-based instability, particularly south of I-80 during the afternoon, although the magnitude of instability will depend on morning cloud cover/shower activity. The initiating wave of interest appears to be embedded within a zone of strong shear vorticity currently dropping south across North Dakota late this evening. At the surface, a meso low/troughing across South Dakota is forecast to scoot eastward overnight and will be crossing the Mississippi River towards midday tomorrow. While lapse rates are not steep upstairs, just enough surface moisture may surge northward to carve out a sliver of MLCAPE during the afternoon to the south of a surging cold front. Noting a pretty big difference in both surface dewpoints and air temperatures in the latest guidance, which seems to explain the disparity in modeled CAPE. However, with it not currently looking like morning showers and cloud cover will be overly expansive, there seems to be a window for a theta-e axis to build into parts of the area, mainly south of I-80 and east of about I-55 during peak heating. With pretty impressively veering surface-500 mb flow, deep (and low) layer shear doesn`t appear to be lacking. Lots of "ifs" in this scenario, but looks like we can`t entirely throw out the idea of a few more organized stronger to potentially severe storms developing in the aforementioned region tomorrow afternoon. Otherwise, no big changes needed to the overnight grids. Carlaw && .DISCUSSION... Issued at 219 PM CDT Fri Jun 7 2024 Through Saturday night: National satellite fields augmented by RAP-analyzed pressure fields indicate a decaying low pressure system in central Ontario and an expanding high pressure system across the middle United States beneath broad upper-level northwesterly flow. A pair of upper-level shortwaves are evident, first over the central Plains and the second near the Montana and Saskatchewan border. Meanwhile, closer to home, our area is being treated to a delightful early June day with mostly sunny skies, a northwesterly breeze, low humidity levels, and temperatures in the mid to upper 70s. Tonight, upper-level clouds will increase in advance of the leading shortwave in the Plains. Initial thunderstorms now developing in central Kansas are poised to grow upscale into a loosely organized convective system overnight, which will likely move along the instability gradient well to our southwest across Missouri. Meanwhile, a few showers may attempt to develop near the Mississippi River after sunset associated with ephemeral filaments of frontogenesis. A residual dry low-level airmass will be eager to chew up initial raindrops throughout the night, so we will continue a dry forecast. A passing surface pressure ridge will encourage winds to become nearly calm overnight. Lows will range from the upper 50s to lower 60s. Chances for isolated showers will begin to tick upward toward and after daybreak Saturday as weak WAA approach from the west ahead of the secondary upper-level shortwave. The continued dry airmass may continue to prove hostile for raindrops to survive to the surface through the morning, but felt advertising gradually increasing PoPs toward 20 to 30% by noon was a good idea. A slightly better push of WAA during the afternoon (and corresponding lowering cloud bases) should be enough to support a few areas of scattered showers through the evening hours. Overall, limited moisture and scant instability should limit the coverage and intensity of showers and curtail more than an isolated rumble of thunder. (In other words, tomorrow should not be a repeat washout like last Saturday). Overcast skies will limit highs to the low to mid 70s. Tomorrow night, a weak cold front will slip through the area causing southwesterly winds to turn northwesterly. Lows will dip to the low to mid 50s. Borchardt Sunday through Friday: We are entering what looks to be a pretty quiet period through next week. High pressure will begin building into the area on Sunday bringing sunny skies and temperatures in the mid-to-upper 70s. Strong northerly flow will cause temperatures to be cooler Monday and Monday night with highs in the upper 60s and low 70s and lows potentially dipping below 50 degrees. However, temperatures will rebound over the following days. On Monday, a shortwave is expected to propagate through the backside of the trough that will be pushing off to the east, however, a very dry moisture profile should inhibit any precipitation from forming. The next potential for precipitation comes Wednesday as a low tracks through Canada with a cold front draped to its south. However, model guidance is not in good agreement about the progression of the upper- level shortwave/low, so PoPs remain low (15% and below). A signal continues to be present in long range ensemble guidance for a pattern shift to warmer temperatures by the end of the forecast period. Temperatures look poised to push into the upper 80s and perhaps even lower 90s by the end of the work week. Carothers && .AVIATION /06Z TAFS THROUGH 12Z SUNDAY/...
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Issued at 1255 AM CDT Sat Jun 8 2024 Key Messages: - SHRA potential mid-late morning through early evening with associated MVFR CIGS/VSBYS - Northeast wind shift with cold front mid-late afternoon A pair of disturbances moving across the region are still on track to bring periods of showers to the area today. Have sped up the SHRA arrival time with this update based on the latest hi-res guidance trends. Also opted to convert the prevailing VCSH to -SHRA due to an anticipated broader time window for scattered showers across the area. Ceilings will also gradually trend down to MVFR as shower coverage increases along with associated reductions in visibility to MVFR in the steadiest showers. IFR cigs/vsbys are not out of the question though confidence is not high enough to include with this update. While no TS is officially included in the TAF a few embedded lightning strikes cannot be fully ruled out at the terminals. The better potential remains mainly south of I-80. Light and variable winds are expected early this morning, eventually prevailing SSW after daybreak. A cold front will move across the area mid-late afternoon. As it does so, a strong northeast wind shift may occur across the Chicago area terminals. Accordingly have introduced an 020 direction with this update at ORD/MDW at 22Z. The timing of this wind shift will be refined with later updates. Winds then gradually ease and settle back into a NW direction after sunset. Petr
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&& .LOT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... IL...None. IN...None. LM...None. && $$ Visit us at weather.gov/chicago