750  
FXUS63 KILX 072322  
AFDILX  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL  
622 PM CDT THU MAY 7 2026  
   
KEY MESSAGES
 
 
- PERIODS OF SHOWERS AND A FEW THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED  
THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT, WITH THE FOCUS GRADUALLY SHIFTING FROM  
THE I-74 CORRIDOR TONIGHT, TO NEAR AND SOUTH OF I-72 FOR  
FRIDAY AND FRIDAY NIGHT. RAINFALL AMOUNTS WILL BE HEAVIEST  
NEAR AND SOUTH OF I-70, PROBABILITIES OF RECEIVING MORE THAN A  
HALF INCH OF RAIN ARE HIGHEST SOUTH OF I-70 (60-70%).  
 
- WHILE A TEMPORARY WARMUP TAKES PLACE ON SATURDAY, IT WILL BE  
MORE TOWARD THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK BEFORE WE GET A SUSTAINED  
WARMING TREND.  
 

 
   
DISCUSSION
 
 
ISSUED AT 200 PM CDT THU MAY 7 2026  
 
SHORT TERM (THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT):  
 
LATEST WATER VAPOR IMAGERY SHOWS A SHORTWAVE PUSHING ACROSS  
WISCONSIN AND ILLINOIS. RAIN SHOWERS HAVE BEEN MOVING ACROSS THE  
NORTHERN THIRD OF THE FORECAST AREA EARLY THIS AFTERNOON. WHILE  
LIGHTNING HAS BEEN FAIRLY MINIMAL THUS FAR, A 43 MPH WIND GUST  
WAS NOTED AT PEORIA EARLIER AS ONE OF THE SHOWERS WENT BY.  
FORECAST SOUNDINGS KEEP AN INVERTED-V SIGNATURE FOR A FEW MORE  
HOURS, SUGGESTING SOME ADDITIONAL STRONGER GUSTS MIXING DOWN AT  
TIMES. WITH A WEAK SURFACE BOUNDARY LINGERING THROUGH THE NIGHT,  
RAIN CHANCES HAVE BEEN EXTENDED PAST MIDNIGHT, CONCENTRATING ON  
THE I-74 CORRIDOR.  
 
ANOTHER SHORTWAVE WILL SHIFT EASTWARD OUT OF THE NORTHERN AND  
CENTRAL PLAINS ON FRIDAY. WITH THE SURFACE BOUNDARY ONLY MAKING  
MODEST PROGRESS SOUTHWARD, THE RAIN FOCUS WILL BE MORE ACROSS  
AREAS NEAR AND SOUTH OF I-72/DANVILLE. A FEW HUNDRED JOULES OF  
SBCAPE SHOULD SUPPORT A LITTLE MORE IN THE WAY OF THUNDER. IT  
LOOKS TO TAKE WELL INTO THE NIGHT FOR THE RAIN TO CLEAR THE  
SOUTHEAST CWA, ONCE THE SHORTWAVE FINALLY ARRIVES. FURTHER  
NORTH, A DRYING TREND NORTH OF I-74 SHOULD BE TAKING PLACE AS  
EARLY AS MID-LATE AFTERNOON, GRADUALLY ENDING FROM NORTHWEST TO  
SOUTHEAST.  
 
LONG TERM (SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY):  
 
THE PERSISTENT TROUGHING OVER THE EASTERN U.S. FINALLY BEGINS A  
MORE WHOLESALE SHIFT EASTWARD EARLY NEXT WEEK, AS THE WESTERN  
UPPER RIDGE TRIES TO BUILD EASTWARD. SYNOPTIC MODELS SLIDE  
ANOTHER SHORTWAVE DOWN THE TOP OF THE RIDGE, MOVING INTO THE  
UPPER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY ON TUESDAY. WHILE THERE ARE SOME  
DIFFERENCES AMONGST THE MODELS IN THE STRENGTH OF THIS SYSTEM,  
THEY ARE IN DECENT AGREEMENT WITH THE NEXT SIGNIFICANT RAIN  
CHANCES IN THE THE TUESDAY/TUESDAY NIGHT TIME FRAME. BEYOND  
THAT, THE RIDGE FLATTENS A BIT, BUT THE AIR MASS TRENDS MORE  
TOWARD ONE OF THE PACIFIC ORIGIN. THIS SHOULD GET US TOWARD  
MORE TYPICAL MID MAY TEMPERATURES LATER NEXT WEEK, WHICH LOOKS  
TO PERSIST INTO THE FOLLOWING WEEK.  
 

 
   
AVIATION /00Z TAFS THROUGH 00Z SATURDAY/
 
 
ISSUED AT 622 PM CDT THU MAY 7 2026  
 
PERIODS OF SHOWERS AND A FEW THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED ACROSS  
CENTRAL IL THE NEXT 24 HOURS, WITH THE FOCUS FOR SHOWER ACTIVITY  
SHIFTING SOMEWHAT SOUTHWARD AND INCREASING AFTER AROUND 15Z-18Z.  
WHILE CONDITIONS LOOK TO BE PREDOMINANTLY VFR, SHOWERS AND  
THUNDERSTORMS COULD PRODUCE SOME BRIEF MVFR CIGS/VSBYS. WINDS  
GENERALLY SW 8-14 KTS THROUGH THE PERIOD, BUT DECREASING A FEW  
TO SEVERAL KTS OVERNIGHT.  
 

 
   
ILX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
 
 
NONE.  
 

 
 

 
 
KEY MESSAGES...GEELHART  
DISCUSSION...GEELHART  
AVIATION...37  
 
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