980  
FXUS63 KILX 261720  
AFDILX  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL  
1220 PM CDT TUE MAY 26 2026  
   
KEY MESSAGES
 
 
- NO MAJOR STORM SYSTEMS ARE EXPECTED TO IMPACT THE REGION OVER  
THE NEXT WEEK. AS A RESULT, THE SEVERE WEATHER RISK ACROSS  
CENTRAL ILLINOIS WILL REMAIN VERY LOW (LESS THAN A 5% CHANCE)  
THROUGH NEXT MONDAY.  
 

 
   
DISCUSSION
 
 
ISSUED AT 341 AM CDT TUE MAY 26 2026  
 
08Z/3AM WATER VAPOR IMAGERY SHOWS AN UPPER LOW SPINNING OVER THE  
ARKLATEX REGION. WITH DEEP-LAYER MOISTURE FLOWING NORTHWARD  
FROM THE GULF AHEAD OF THIS SYSTEM, SHOWERS HAVE SPREAD AS FAR  
NORTH AS THE OZARKS INTO WESTERN/SOUTHERN KENTUCKY. AS THE  
PRECIPITATION CONTINUES TO LIFT SLOWLY NORTHWARD, IT WILL  
EVENTUALLY ENCOUNTER SYNOPTIC SUBSIDENCE AND A DRIER AIRMASS  
BENEATH A SURFACE RIDGE AXIS ACROSS CENTRAL INDIANA/ILLINOIS.  
AS A RESULT, THE NORTHWARD PROGRESS OF THE RAIN WILL BE  
SLOW...WITH MOST CAMS CONFINING ANY SHOWERS TO LOCATIONS  
ALONG/SOUTH OF I-70 THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON. FURTHER NORTH, AM  
EXPECTING MOSTLY CLOUDY AND DRY CONDITIONS. HIGH TEMPERATURES  
WILL RANGE FROM THE UPPER 70S ALONG/SOUTH OF I-70 TO THE MIDDLE  
80S NORTH OF THE I-72 CORRIDOR.  
 
THE LOW WILL CONTINUE ITS GRADUAL TREK NORTHWARD TONIGHT:  
HOWEVER, IT WILL BE WEAKENING AS IT DOES SO. 00Z MAY 26 MODELS  
ARE ALL IN GOOD AGREEMENT CONCERNING THE EVENTUAL NORTHERN  
EXTENT OF SHOWERS TONIGHT INTO WEDNESDAY...WITH CONSENSUS  
PLACING IT NEAR A RANTOUL TO JACKSONVILLE LINE. THE MAIN  
FORECAST CONCERN IS RAINFALL AMOUNTS AS A FEW MODELS INDICATE  
BANDS OF SHOWERS BLOSSOMING AND BECOMING QUASI-STATIONARY  
ACROSS PORTIONS OF EAST-CENTRAL ILLINOIS LATE TONIGHT INTO  
WEDNESDAY MORNING AS THE LOW APPROACHES. THE 06Z HRRR SHOWS A  
FEW AMOUNTS OVER 1 INCH FROM PARIS/MARSHALL SOUTHWESTWARD TO  
NEAR EFFINGHAM. MEANWHILE THE 00Z HREF MEAN QPF FEATURES POCKETS  
OF 0.75-1.00 ACROSS THIS GENERAL AREA AND PERHAPS AS FAR N/NW  
AS TUSCOLA AND SHELBYVILLE. THE NBM IS CONSIDERABLY LIGHTER WITH  
AMOUNTS OF ONLY AROUND 0.25. AT THIS POINT, WILL FOCUS HIGHEST  
POPS (40-50% CHANCE) SOUTH OF A DANVILLE TO SHELBYVILLE LINE  
WITH RAINFALL OF 0.25 TO 0.50. WILL NEED TO KEEP A CLOSE EYE ON  
FUTURE MODEL DATA IN CASE RAINFALL NEEDS TO BE BOOSTED IN THIS  
AREA. FURTHER NORTHWEST ALONG/NW OF I-55, LITTLE TO NO RAIN IS  
EXPECTED.  
 
AS UPPER RIDGING BUILDS OVER THE UPPER MIDWEST, IT WILL SHUNT  
THE REMNANTS OF THE LOW SOUTHWARD AND ALLOW A RETURN TO DRY  
WEATHER ACROSS THE BOARD WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH THE END OF THE  
WEEK. AFTER THAT, THE SYNOPTIC MODELS INDICATE SURFACE HIGH  
PRESSURE OVER THE GREAT LAKES REGION WILL KEEP CENTRAL ILLINOIS  
DRY THROUGH EARLY NEXT WEEK AS SHORT-WAVE ENERGY REMAINS S/SW OF  
THE AREA. SEASONAL TEMPERATURES IN THE UPPER 70S AND LOWER 80S  
ARE ANTICIPATED.  
 

 
   
AVIATION /18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z WEDNESDAY/
 
 
ISSUED AT 1216 PM CDT TUE MAY 26 2026  
 
VFR CONDITIONS ARE FORECAST THROUGH THE PERIOD. CIRRUS SHIELD  
PERSISTS ACROSS MUCH OF THE AREA, WITH SOME DIURNAL CU  
DEVELOPING NEAR AND SOUTH OF THE I-72 CORRIDOR. MAIN CONCERN  
THIS PERIOD IS SCATTERED SHOWERS AND ASSOCIATED LOWER CEILINGS,  
WHICH ARE MOST LIKELY SOUTH OF I-72. BASED ON THIS, INCLUDED A  
PROB30 SHOWER GROUP AT KDEC/KCMI, BUT NOT OTHER SITES. MVFR AND  
EVEN IFR CEILINGS ARE POSSIBLE ACROSS SOUTHEAST ILLINOIS (SOUTH  
OF I-70) OVERNIGHT INTO WED AM, BUT FOR NOW INDICATIONS ARE  
THAT THESE LOWER CLOUDS WILL STAY SOUTH OF THE TERMINALS.  
 

 
   
ILX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
 
 
NONE.  
 

 
 

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