<< Severe Weather Possible Today / Tonight >>

It appears at this time most, if not all, the severe weather should be confined to mostly our southern counties, and downstate Illinois.  Northern Illinois (Cook County, Lake, McHenry) are all on the northern "cool" side of this system.  We should just see mostly rain, general thunderstorms, and possibly small hail.  Most of our area is outside the "slight risk" area, but if the front moves further North, we could see some potential severe weather later this evening.    Some of the hazards that can be expected are listed below.  Once the front slides through, tonight we can see a potential mix of rain and (yes) snow.

 

 

WEATHER HAZARDS EXPECTED:

  ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS...A FEW MAY PRODUCE:
  HAIL TO ONE INCH.
  DAMAGING WIND GUSTS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH.
  LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL.
  CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING.
  MODERATE RAINFALL AND BRIEF DOWNPOURS.

  AREAS AFFECTED AND TIMING:

  THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP LATE THIS AFTERNOON
  AND CONTINUE THROUGH THIS EVENING MAINLY ALONG AND SOUTH
  OF INTERSTATE 80. THE GREATEST POTENTIAL FOR SEVERE
  THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE ALONG AND SOUTH OF PONTIAC TO
  KANKAKEE TO CROWN POINT.

  DISCUSSION:

  AN AREA OF LOW PRESSURE CONTINUES TO DEVELOP OVER NORTH CENTRAL
  OKLAHOMA EARLY THIS MORNING AND WILL STRENGTHEN AS IT LIFTS
  NORTHEAST INTO CENTRAL MISSOURI BY MIDDAY. THIS LOW PRESSURE
  SYSTEM WILL SLIDE ALONG A NEARLY STATIONARY FRONTAL BOUNDARY
  AND SERVE AS THE FOCAL POINT FOR THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT ALONG
  AND SOUTH OF THIS BOUNDARY THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH THIS EVENING.

  ISOLATED TO SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS THAT DEVELOP AHEAD OF THE
  LOW WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS.
  WARM AIR WILL SLIDE OVERHEAD AND MAY ACT TO LIMIT THUNDERSTORM
  DEVELOPMENT DURING THE AFTERNOON HOURS SOUTH OF THE WARM FRONT.
  WITH THE STRENGTH OF THE UPPER LEVEL WINDS IT IS EXPECTED THAT
  CONVECTION MAY AT ONSET BEGIN AS CELLULAR...THEN DEVELOP INTO
  LINE SEGMENTS IN THE LATE AFTERNOON AND EVENING HOURS AHEAD OF
  THE COLD FRONT. WHILE THE MAIN THREATS CONTINUE TO BE LARGE HAIL
  AND DAMAGING WINDS...ISOLATED TORNADOES CAN NOT BE RULED OUT
  FOR FAR SOUTHERN PORTIONS OF THE OUTLOOK AREA. THUNDERSTORMS
  ARE EXPECTED TO MOVE EAST OF THE OUTLOOK AREA SHORTLY AFTER
  MIDNIGHT INTO NORTH CENTRAL INDIANA.

  IN ADDITION TO THE SEVERE WEATHER THREAT...MODERATE TO LOCALLY
  HEAVY RAINFALL IS POSSIBLE. THE ATMOSPHERE REMAINS SATURATED
  WITH AMPLE MOISTURE EXPECTED OVER THE OUTLOOK AREA MAINLY ALONG
  AND SOUTH OF INTERSTATE 80.