920  
FXUS63 KILX 051047  
AFDILX  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL  
547 AM CDT SUN APR 5 2026  
   
KEY MESSAGES
 
 
- FREEZING CONDITIONS WILL OCCUR ACROSS NORTH-CENTRAL ILLINOIS  
MONDAY NIGHT. THERE IS A 60-80% CHANCE READINGS WILL DROP  
BELOW 30 DEGREES ALONG AND NORTH OF A MACOMB...TO LINCOLN...TO  
PARIS LINE.  
 
- WARMER AND WETTER WEATHER WILL RETURN BY THE END OF THE WEEK.  
 

 
   
DISCUSSION
 
 
ISSUED AT 317 AM CDT SUN APR 5 2026  
 
PARTLY TO MOSTLY CLOUDY SKIES WILL PREVAIL ALONG AND NORTHEAST  
OF A PEORIA TO MATTOON LINE AT DAYBREAK: HOWEVER, THIS CLOUD  
COVER WILL GRADUALLY SHIFT EASTWARD OUT OF THE AREA THIS  
AFTERNOON. DESPITE INCREASING AMOUNTS OF SUNSHINE, BRISK  
NORTHWESTERLY WINDS GUSTING 15-25MPH WILL KEEP TEMPERATURES  
SEVERAL DEGREES BELOW NORMAL IN THE MIDDLE 50S.  
 
A COLD FRONT CURRENTLY OVER THE NORTHERN PLAINS WILL DROP  
SOUTHWARD THROUGH THE REGION TONIGHT. THE BOUNDARY WILL HAVE  
VERY LITTLE MOISTURE TO WORK WITH, SO AM ONLY EXPECTING AN  
INCREASE IN CLOUD COVER AND A SHIFT IN THE WIND WITH FROPA.  
NORTHWESTERLY BREEZES BEHIND THE FRONT WILL ENSURE ANOTHER COOL  
DAY ON MONDAY WITH HIGHS ONCE AGAIN HOVERING IN THE LOWER TO  
MIDDLE 50S.  
 
AS CANADIAN HIGH PRESSURE SETTLES SOUTHWARD INTO THE UPPER  
MIDWEST AND WINDS DECREASE, A VERY CHILLY NIGHT WILL UNFOLD  
MONDAY NIGHT. PREVIOUS THINKING SUGGESTED ALL OF CENTRAL AND  
SOUTHEAST ILLINOIS WOULD BE IN FOR A FREEZE: HOWEVER, THE LAST  
FEW MODEL RUNS HAVE INTRODUCED A FLY-IN-THE-OINTMENT THAT WILL  
LIKELY KEEP TEMPS A BIT WARMER ACROSS THE S/SW KILX CWA. A BAND  
OF FRONTOGENETIC FORCING MOST EVIDENT IN THE 800-700MB LAYER  
WILL DEVELOP FROM EASTERN NEBRASKA TO SOUTHERN ILLINOIS LATE  
MONDAY AFTERNOON INTO MONDAY NIGHT. WHILE THE AIRMASS WILL  
INITIALLY BE QUITE DRY, WEAK ISENTROPIC UPGLIDE AND LOW  
CONDENSATION PRESSURE DEFICITS ON THE 300K SURFACE WILL LEAD TO  
A BAND OF CLOUD COVER AND PERHAPS LIGHT PRECIPITATION. THE 00Z  
APR 5 NAM/GFS/ECMWF ALL HINT THAT THE BEST CHANCE OF MEASURABLE  
PRECIP WILL REMAIN FURTHER WEST ACROSS NORTHERN  
MISSOURI/SOUTHERN IOWA: HOWEVER, PLENTY OF CLOUDS WILL DEVELOP  
FURTHER E/SE INTO PARTS OF CENTRAL ILLINOIS. IN ADDITION, WITH  
THE SURFACE RIDGE AXIS EXTENDING FROM MINNESOTA SOUTHEASTWARD TO  
OHIO, AM EXPECTING NE WINDS OF 5-10MPH TO PERSIST THROUGH THE  
NIGHT. THE COMBINATION OF CLOUD COVER AND WIND WILL PREVENT A  
WIDESPREAD FREEZE. BASED ON THE EXPECTED PARAMETERS, THINK THE  
I-74 CORRIDOR WILL BE THE MOST LIKELY LOCATION TO EXPERIENCE A  
HARD FREEZE. AS SUCH, THE LATEST LREF HIGHLIGHTS LOCATIONS  
ALONG/NORTHEAST OF A MACOMB...TO LINCOLN...TO PARIS LINE WITH A  
60-80% CHANCE OF DROPPING BELOW 30 DEGREES BY DAWN TUESDAY.  
 
AFTER A CHILLY DAY WITH HIGHS ONLY IN THE MIDDLE TO UPPER 40S ON  
TUESDAY, SOUTHERLY RETURN FLOW WILL DEVELOP ON THE BACK SIDE OF  
THE DEPARTING HIGH AND TEMPERATURES WILL QUICKLY MODERATE BY  
THE MIDDLE AND END OF THE WEEK. HIGHS WILL RETURN TO THE UPPER  
60S TO AROUND 70 DEGREES BY WEDNESDAY, THEN WILL CLIMB WELL  
INTO THE 70S THURSDAY THROUGH SATURDAY. ALONG WITH THE WARMER  
WEATHER, SHOWERS AND A FEW THUNDERSTORMS WILL RETURN TO THE  
FORECAST. THE SEVERE WEATHER RISK WILL REMAIN LOW THROUGH THE  
END OF THE WEEK, BUT MAY INCREASE BY NEXT SATURDAY/SUNDAY AS  
MOISTURE BECOMES MORE PREVALENT AND A STRONGER SYSTEM ARRIVES.  
 

 
   
AVIATION /12Z TAFS THROUGH 12Z MONDAY/
 
 
ISSUED AT 546 AM CDT SUN APR 5 2026  
 
1030Z/530AM SATELLITE IMAGERY SHOWS A BAND OF MVFR CEILINGS  
ALONG/NORTH OF THE I-74 CORRIDOR. WITH DEEP-LAYER FLOW FROM THE  
NW, IT APPEARS THE CLOUDS WILL LINGER FOR A FEW HOURS,  
PARTICULARLY AT KBMI/KCMI. BASED ON SATELLITE TRENDS AND THE  
LATEST HRRR/RAP FORECAST, HAVE SCATTERED THE CEILINGS AT KBMI BY  
16Z AND AT KCMI BY 17Z. AFTER THAT, CLEAR SKIES WILL PREVAIL  
THROUGH THIS EVENING BEFORE A FEW MID/HIGH CLOUDS INCREASE AS A  
COLD FRONT DROPS SOUTHWARD THROUGH THE REGION OVERNIGHT. NW  
WINDS WILL GUST 20-25KT THROUGH MID-AFTERNOON, THEN WILL  
DECREASE TO AROUND 10KT BEFORE SUNSET. AS THE COLD FRONT NEARS,  
WINDS WILL TEMPORARILY BACK TO SW AFTER 02Z/03Z...BEFORE ONCE  
AGAIN VEERING NW WELL AFTER MIDNIGHT.  
 

 
   
ILX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
 
 
NONE.  
 

 
 

 
 
KEY MESSAGES...BARNES  
DISCUSSION...BARNES  
AVIATION...BARNES  
 
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