820  
FXUS63 KILX 240457  
AFDILX  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL  
1157 PM CDT THU JUL 23 2026  
   
KEY MESSAGES
 
 
- THERE IS A LOW TO MEDIUM (30-50%) CHANCE OF LIGHT RAIN FRIDAY  
INTO FRIDAY NIGHT.  
 
- DANGEROUS HEAT BUILDS SUNDAY THROUGH TUESDAY, WITH PEAK  
AFTERNOON HEAT INDICES OF 100 TO 110 DEGREES.  
 
- ISOLATED SEVERE STORMS ARE POSSIBLE LATE SUNDAY THROUGH MONDAY  
NIGHT, THOUGH FORECAST CERTAINTY REMAINS LOW.  
 

 
   
DISCUSSION
 
 
ISSUED AT 154 PM CDT THU JUL 23 2026  
 
SURFACE ANALYSIS SHOWS HIGH PRESSURE CENTERED OVER THE LOWER GREAT  
LAKES REGION, WHICH HAS RESULTED IN A BRIEF PERIOD OF SEASONALLY  
COOL WEATHER. TEMPERATURES EARLY THIS AFTERNOON ARE SITTING IN THE  
MIDDLE 70S WITH DEWPOINTS IN THE LOW 50S. SIMILAR CONDITIONS ARE  
EXPECTED ON FRIDAY, THOUGH SOUTHERLY RETURN FLOW WILL ADVECT  
MOISTURE BACK NORTHWARD LATER IN THE DAY AS THE SURFACE HIGH PUSHES  
OFF TO OUR EAST.  
 
AN UPPER SHORTWAVE WILL TRACK FROM THE CENTRAL PLAINS INTO THE OHIO  
VALLEY REGION THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT, BRINGING INCREASED CLOUDINESS  
BEGINNING TONIGHT. SCATTERED CHANCES FOR RAIN RETURN LATE FRIDAY  
MORNING INTO FRIDAY NIGHT AS THE SHORTWAVE WORKS ACROSS SOUTHWEST  
PARTS OF THE AREA. ACTIVITY WILL BE WORKING AGAINST SOMEWHAT DRIER  
AIR INITIALLY, LIKELY RESULTING IN VIRGA OR SPRINKLES AT THE ONSET  
WITH TOTAL QPF LOOKING TO BE ON THE ORDER OF A FEW TENTHS OF AN  
INCH. LIGHT RAIN CHANCES MAY LINGER INTO SATURDAY MORNING AS A WEAK  
SHORTWAVE GLIDES ALONG A WARM/STATIONARY FRONT POSITIONED JUST TO  
OUR SOUTH.  
 
UPPER RIDGING BECOMES AMPLIFIED OVER THE WESTERN US BY THE WEEKEND,  
RESULTING IN MID-LEVEL HEIGHT RISES HERE LOCALLY. TEMPERATURES WILL  
WARM BACK INTO THE 80S ON SATURDAY THEN SURGE INTO THE 90S BY  
SUNDAY. SIMILAR TEMPERATURES WILL STICK AROUND THROUGH TUESDAY FOR  
SOME WITH THE EXTREME FORECAST INDEX SHOWING VALUES OF 0.9-1,  
INDICATING THAT THERE IS HIGH CONFIDENCE IN AN ANOMALOUS EVENT.  
THIS PAIRED WITH DEWPOINTS IN THE 70S WILL LEAD TO HEAT INDICES  
PEAKING BETWEEN 100 AND 110 DEGREES EACH AFTERNOON. HEAT  
HEADLINES WILL LIKELY BE COORDINATED IN THE COMING DAYS.  
 
OUTSIDE OF THE HEAT, ISOLATED CHANCES FOR SEVERE STORMS EXIST LATE  
SUNDAY INTO MONDAY NIGHT AS SEVERAL SHORTWAVE IMPULSES GLIDE  
ALONG THE EASTERN PERIPHERY OF A STRONG UPPER RIDGE. A HIGHLY  
UNSTABLE AND MODERATELY SHEARED AIRMASS WILL BE IN PLACE AHEAD  
OF THE UPPER WAVES. IF STORMS MANAGE TO INITIATE, SEVERE HAZARDS  
AND HEAVY RAINFALL WILL BE LIKELY. HOWEVER, FORECAST CERTAINTY  
REMAINS LOW UNTIL MESOSCALE FEATURES BECOME CLEARER.  
 
TEMPERATURES WILL COOL BACK TO NEAR TYPICAL SUMMERTIME VALUES BEHIND  
OF COLD FRONT BY THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK. THE CPC 8-14 DAY OUTLOOK  
FAVORS NEAR TO SLIGHTLY ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES AND BELOW NORMAL  
PRECIPITATION FOR THE END OF JULY/BEGINNING OF AUGUST.  
 

 
   
AVIATION /06Z TAFS THROUGH 06Z SATURDAY/
 
 
ISSUED AT 1157 PM CDT THU JUL 23 2026  
 
VFR CONDITIONS EXPECTED THE NEXT 24 HOURS, WITH CEILINGS  
GRADUALLY LOWERING ON FRIDAY THOUGH STILL WELL ABOVE 5,000 FEET.  
WHILE A FEW SHOWERS ARE POSSIBLE BY LATE AFTERNOON, DRY AIR WILL  
RESULT IN CONSIDERABLE UNCERTAINTY AS TO THEIR EXISTENCE, SO NO  
MENTION WILL BE INCLUDED AT THIS TIME.  
 

 
   
ILX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
 
 
NONE.  
 

 
 

 
 
KEY MESSAGES...NMA  
DISCUSSION...NMA  
AVIATION...GEELHART  
 
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