773  
FXUS63 KILX 242343  
AFDILX  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL  
643 PM CDT FRI JUL 24 2026  
   
KEY MESSAGES
 
 
- A HEAT ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT WEST OF THE I-57 CORRIDOR SUNDAY  
AFTERNOON THROUGH MONDAY EVENING AS HEAT INDEX READINGS PEAK  
ABOVE 105 DEGREES.  
 
- THERE IS A 15-30% CHANCE FOR SEVERE WEATHER ALONG AND  
NORTHEAST OF A LACON TO PARIS LINE ON MONDAY AS A CLUSTER OF  
THUNDERSTORMS POTENTIALLY GRAZES CENTRAL ILLINOIS TO THE  
NORTHEAST.  
 

 
   
DISCUSSION
 
 
ISSUED AT 233 PM CDT FRI JUL 24 2026  
 
**** A FEW SHOWERS TONIGHT INTO SATURDAY MORNING ****  
 
18Z/1PM SURFACE ANALYSIS SHOWS A NEARLY STATIONARY FRONTAL  
BOUNDARY EXTENDING FROM NEAR KANSAS CITY INTO THE TENNESSEE  
RIVER VALLEY. A SHORT-WAVE TROUGH DROPPING SOUTHEASTWARD OUT OF  
THE UPPER MIDWEST IS CURRENTLY INTERACTING WITH THE BOUNDARY TO  
PRODUCE CLOUDS AND A FEW RADAR ECHOES ACROSS CENTRAL ILLINOIS.  
DESPITE THE RADAR PRESENTATION, ONLY A FEW LIGHT SPRINKLES HAVE  
REACHED THE GROUND IN SPOTS...AS THE 12Z KILX UPPER AIR SOUNDING  
INDICATED AMPLE DRY AIR BELOW 600MB. FORECAST SOUNDINGS SHOW THE  
ATMOSPHERE SLOWLY MOISTENING FROM THE TOP-DOWN, WHICH WILL  
EVENTUALLY ALLOW SHOWERS TO BECOME MORE NUMEROUS LATE TONIGHT  
INTO SATURDAY MORNING BEFORE THE SHORT-WAVE SINKS INTO THE OHIO  
RIVER VALLEY. MOST CAMS SUGGEST SCATTERED SPRINKLES THIS  
AFTERNOON, FOLLOWED BY A LULL IN PRECIP UNTIL LATE TONIGHT WHEN  
THE 850MB JET STREAK MODESTLY INCREASES TO 20-30KT. SCATTERED  
SHOWERS WILL DEVELOP...MAINLY ALONG/SOUTH OF A RUSHVILLE TO  
LAWRENCEVILLE LINE. MAY EVEN SEE A RUMBLE OF THUNDER OR TWO AS  
MUCAPES REACH 1000-1500J/KG. ONCE THE WAVE PASSES, SHORT-WAVE  
RIDGING IN ITS WAKE WILL LEAD TO AN END TO THE LIGHT SHOWERS BY  
MIDDAY SATURDAY, FOLLOWED BY A PARTLY TO MOSTLY CLOUDY AND DRY  
AFTERNOON.  
 
**** TYPICAL SUMMERTIME HEAT RETURNS ****  
 
UPPER RIDGING CURRENTLY CENTERED OVER THE DESERT SOUTHWEST WILL  
BUILD NORTHEASTWARD EARLY NEXT WEEK: HOWEVER, ITS PROGRESS WILL  
BE CURTAILED BY A DEEP LOW OVER HUDSON BAY. PIECES OF ENERGY  
PIVOTING AROUND THE LOW WILL DROP INTO THE EASTERN GREAT LAKES  
AND NEW ENGLAND...MAINTAINING THE NORTHWESTERLY FLOW PATTERN  
ACROSS THE MIDWEST. AS UPPER HEIGHTS RISE, TEMPERATURES WILL  
CLIMB INTO THE UPPER 80S AND LOWER 90S ON SUNDAY, THEN INTO THE  
LOWER TO MIDDLE 90S ON MONDAY. WITH DEWPOINTS RISING BACK INTO  
THE 70S, HEAT INDEX READINGS WILL REACH 100 DEGREES OR HIGHER  
ACROSS THE ENTIRE CWA BY SUNDAY AFTERNOON. THINGS GET A LITTLE  
MORE INTERESTING ON MONDAY AS A CONVECTIVE COMPLEX IMPACTS PARTS  
OF THE REGION. CONFIDENCE ON THE EXACT TRACK/TIMING OF THE  
COMPLEX REMAINS LOW, BUT THE SYNOPTIC PATTERN AND EARLY SIGNS  
FROM SOME OF THE LONGER-RANGE CAMS SUCH AS THE RRFS SUGGEST THE  
STORMS MAY ONLY GRAZE CENTRAL ILLINOIS TO THE NORTHEAST. THIS  
COULD POTENTIALLY SEND AN OUTFLOW BOUNDARY W/SW AND IMPEDE  
HEATING ACROSS THE E/NE KILX CWA ON MONDAY. THE 00Z JUL 24 LREF  
BACKS UP THIS THEORY AS IT SHOWS ONLY A 20% CHANCE OR LESS OF  
HEAT INDEX VALUES EXCEEDING 105 DEGREES EAST OF THE I-57  
CORRIDOR MONDAY AFTERNOON. AS SUCH, DECIDED TO ISSUE A HEAT  
ADVISORY ACROSS ALL LOCATIONS WEST OF I-57 FOR SUNDAY AFTERNOON  
THROUGH MONDAY EVENING. FUTURE SHIFTS MAY OPT TO EXPAND THE  
ADVISORY FURTHER EAST ACROSS PART OR ALL OF EAST-CENTRAL  
ILLINOIS DEPENDING ON CONVECTIVE TRENDS.  
 
**** SEVERE WEATHER POTENTIAL SUNDAY NIGHT INTO MONDAY ****  
 
THE LATEST CONVECTIVE OUTLOOKS FROM SPC HAVE PULLED THE SEVERE  
WEATHER RISK AREA A BIT FURTHER NORTHEAST THAN PREVIOUSLY  
THOUGHT. DESPITE RISING UPPER HEIGHTS, THE FLOW ACROSS THE  
MIDWEST/GREAT LAKES WILL REMAIN NORTHWESTERLY. AS SUCH, WILL  
NEED TO KEEP A CLOSE EYE ON THE TRACK/TIMING OF SHORT-WAVE  
TROUGHS CRESTING THE RIDGE, THEN DIGGING SOUTHEASTWARD THROUGH  
THE GREAT LAKES. ITS STILL TOO EARLY TO PINPOINT THIS PROCESS:  
HOWEVER, THE 06Z/12Z RRFS OFFERS AN EARLY GLANCE AT A POTENTIAL  
SCENARIO FEATURING A WAVE TRIGGERING A STORM CLUSTER ACROSS  
CENTRAL WISCONSIN LATE SUNDAY NIGHT DROPPING SOUTHEASTWARD  
ACROSS LAKE MICHIGAN INTO NORTHERN/CENTRAL INDIANA MONDAY  
MORNING. PREVIOUS RUNS OF THE RRFS SHOWED THIS CONVECTION  
DIRECTLY IMPACTING THE NE KILX CWA AROUND CHAMPAIGN/DANVILLE:  
HOWEVER, THE 12Z RUN IS FURTHER EAST AND MUCH LESS IMPRESSIVE.  
EVEN IF THE INITIAL STORM CLUSTER COMPLETELY MISSES CENTRAL  
ILLINOIS TO THE NORTHEAST, THE RESIDUAL OUTFLOW BOUNDARY COULD  
SERVE AS THE FOCUS FOR CONVECTIVE RE-DEVELOPMENT ACROSS THE E/NE  
CWA MONDAY AFTERNOON/EVENING. WITH SBCAPES IN EXCESS OF  
3000J/KG AND 0-6KM BULK SHEAR OF 30-40KT, ANY CELLS THAT FORM IN  
THIS ENVIRONMENT WILL BE CAPABLE OF DAMAGING WIND GUSTS AND  
LARGE HAIL AND PERHAPS A COUPLE TORNADOES. STAY TUNED TO LATER  
FORECASTS FOR ADDITIONAL DETAILS.  
 

 
   
AVIATION /00Z TAFS THROUGH 00Z SUNDAY/
 
 
ISSUED AT 643 PM CDT FRI JUL 24 2026  
 
LIGHT SCATTERED SHOWERS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH TONIGHT, MAINLY  
AFFECTING KSPI SOUTHWARD THIS EVENING, BUT LIKELY EXPANDING  
THROUGH THE AREA AFTER 06Z. SHOWERS LOOK TO END BY 16Z-20Z.  
OVERNIGHT, CIGS LOOK TO LOWER AND BECOME MVFR BY 11Z-14Z,  
CONTINUING UNTIL AROUND 20Z. WINDS S 4-8 KTS THROUGH THE  
PERIOD.  
 

 
   
ILX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
 
 
HEAT ADVISORY FROM NOON SUNDAY TO 9 PM CDT MONDAY FOR  
ILZ027>031-036>038-040>044-047>054-061.  
 

 
 

 
 
KEY MESSAGES...BARNES  
DISCUSSION...BARNES  
AVIATION...37  
 
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