Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS Central Illinois

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430 FXUS63 KILX 200900 AFDILX Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Lincoln IL 400 AM CDT Fri Sep 20 2024 .KEY MESSAGES...
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- Chance of showers and isolated thunderstorms today over central IL, with a few strong to locally severe storms east of I-55 from mid afternoon into mid evening. - Very warm and rather humid today and Saturday with highs in the upper 80s to around 90 with afternoon heat indices in the low to mid 90s. - More widespread showers and chance of thunderstorms expected overnight Saturday night through Monday. There is a 50-60% chance of seeing 1-2 inches of rain over central IL with highest amounts north of I-70 where locally over 2 inches possible.
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&& .DISCUSSION...
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Issued at 345 AM CDT Fri Sep 20 2024 Early morning surface map shows a cold front from western WI into far eastern Iowa and nw MO. Isolated showers had recently develop nw of Lincoln while more widespread showers and a few thunderstorms were over southeast WI and northern IL, mainly north of I-88 and supported by a 25-30 kt sw 850 mb jet. Variable sky cover over CWA, with less clouds in eastcentral and southeast IL and more clouds over western/sw CWA. Temps ranged from 58F in Danville to 75 in Springfield, while more moist dewpoints were in the low to mid 60s, except mid to upper 50s from Rantoul to Terre Haute east. Aloft a strong 592 dm 500 mb high was over central Texas and ridging ne into IL and the central and eastern Great Lakes. A strong 553 dm 500 mb low was over east central Manitoba with a 567 dm 500 mb low off the southern CA coast. Latest CAMs push cold front se across the IL river valley late this morning and thru rest of central IL during this afternoon before stalling in southeast IL this evening. Isolated to scattered showers and isolated thunderstorms possible into mid morning over central IL, then a lull late morning and mid day, before more isolated to scattered convection develops along and ahead of se moving cold front in east central IL during mid/late afternoon and moving into southeast IL during this evening. SPC day1 outlook continues marginal risk of severe storms from Kankakee to Decatur to Taylorville and East St Louis east from mid afternoon (after 19Z/2 pm) into mid evening. There is 5% risk of damaging winds and large hail. Wind shear is 30-35 kts in east central IL and 25-30 kts in southeast IL, while MLCAPEs peak at 1-2k j/kg by late afternoon. Upper level ridging over IL keeps low lapse rates and limiting factor for more widespread strong to severe storms. Much of area should be dry overnight into Saturday with slight chances of convection Saturday afternoon west of Springfield and Peoria as warm front lifts back north/ne over central IL on Saturday. Very warm and rather humid conditions prevail today and Saturday with highs in the upper 80s to around 90F, with afternoon heat indicies in the low to mid 90s today and upper 80s and lower 90s Sat (mid 90s southeast of I-70 Saturday afternoon). A stronger cold front to move se into nw IL by dawn Sunday and more widespread convection to spread over central IL during overnight Sat night into Sunday morning. Fairly high chances of showers and thunderstorms expected to continue Sunday through Monday night with frontal boundary over central IL and moving into southeast IL Monday night. Rainfall amounts from overnight Sat night through Monday of 1-2 inches likely with locally high amounts nw of I-70 possible. Cooler highs Sunday in the mid to upper 70s in central IL and lower 80s in southeast IL. A few degrees cooler Monday with highs in the lower to mid 70s in central IL and around 80F in southeast IL. Larger model spread during middle and later part of next week and stayed close to model blend with generally dry conditions Tue thru Friday and highs in the 70s with lows in the low to mid 50s Tue night thru Thu night. 07
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&& .AVIATION... (For the 06z TAFs through 06z Friday Night) Issued at 1153 PM CDT Thu Sep 19 2024 Scattered thunderstorms have developed across portions of central and southwest Iowa this evening, but has been very isolated so far further east. Latest guidance has backed off on storms moving into central Illinois late tonight into Friday morning, but a few weakening showers may still reach this far east. Have removed the tempo for precip owing to the lower confidence in showers/storms reaching central Illinois but maintain a VCSH mention for some isolated activity. Otherwise, expect south winds overnight to veer to the SSW Friday ahead of an approaching cold front, then to the NW Friday afternoon and evening behind the front. Winds will continue to veer to the N/NE Friday evening as high pressure builds across the region. Deubelbeiss && .ILX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... None. && $$