917  
FXUS63 KLOT 020832  
AFDLOT  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHICAGO/ROMEOVILLE, IL  
332 AM CDT WED APR 2 2025  
   
KEY MESSAGES
 
 
- WAVES OF SHOWERS AND STORMS WILL PARADE OVER THE AREA THROUGH  
EARLY EVENING, SOME MAY BE SEVERE.  
 
- PRIMARY THREATS THIS MORNING ARE LARGE HAIL AND GUSTY WINDS.  
ALL HAZARDS ARE POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON (CONTINGENT ON  
MORNING STORMS CLEARING).  
 
- GUSTY SOUTHEAST WINDS CONTINUE THIS MORNING WITH GUSTS TO  
35-40 MPH. STRONG SOUTH WINDS DEVELOP THIS AFTERNOON,  
ESPECIALLY SOUTH OF I-80 WHERE GUSTS IN EXCESS OF 45 MPH ARE  
POSSIBLE.  
 
- PERIODS OF RAIN, POSSIBLY HEAVY, LATE FRIDAY AFTERNOON INTO  
SATURDAY MORNING, WITH POSSIBLE LOCALIZED FLOODING SOUTH OF  
I-80.  
 

 
   
DISCUSSION
 
 
ISSUED AT 330 AM CDT WED APR 2 2025  
 
THROUGH THURSDAY:  
 
THE MAIN FOCUS REMAINS THE POTENTIAL FOR WAVES OF THUNDERSTORMS  
THROUGH EARLY EVENING, SOME OF WHICH COULD BE SEVERE WITH ALL  
HAZARDS POSSIBLE.  
 
LOW PRESSURE CONTINUES TO CONSOLIDATE EARLY THIS MORNING ACROSS  
CENTRAL KANSAS. MEANWHILE A LINE OF MAINLY PRE-FRONTAL STRONG  
TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CURRENTLY EXTENDS FROM KANSAS CITY  
SOUTHWEST INTO NORTH CENTRAL OKLAHOMA AND IS DRIFTING NORTHEAST  
TOWARD THE REGION. EMBEDDED WITHIN THIS LINE APPEARS TO BE ONE  
OR TWO DEVELOPING EMBEDDED MCVS THAT WE WILL HAVE TO KEEP AN EYE  
ON AS THEY APPROACH. WELL AHEAD OF THE LOW, WARM ADVECTIVE  
SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS HAVE BEGUN TO INCREASE IN COVERAGE  
ACROSS THE AREA, WITH MORE ROBUST CLUSTERS OF STORMS CURRENTLY  
IN SOUTHERN IA/NORTHEAST MO AND CENTRAL IL. THIS WILL CONTINUE  
TO CONSOLIDATE AND LIFT ACROSS THE LOCAL AREA BETWEEN NOW AND  
DAYBREAK AS A MID-LEVEL LAPSE RATE PLUME MOVES OVERHEAD  
ALLOWING STORMS TO TAP INTO BETTER ELEVATED INSTABILITY. MAIN  
HAZARDS THIS MORNING ARE FREQUENT LIGHTNING, LARGE HAIL UP TO 1"  
IN DIAMETER AND LOCALIZED FLOODING IN POOR DRAINAGE AREAS. WE  
WILL ALSO CONTINUE TO WATCH FOR THE POTENTIAL FOR A GUSTY WIND  
THREAT IF ANY GRAVITY WAVE ASSOCIATED CONVECTION DEVELOPS (SOME  
GUIDANCE CONTINUES HINT AT THIS POTENTIAL AND STORMS OVER KANSAS  
CITY ARE BEGINNING TO TAKE ON THIS APPEARANCE) WHICH COULD  
ALLOW FOR STRONG DOWNBURSTS TO PUNCH THROUGH THE STABLE SURFACE  
LAYER IN SPITE OF STORMS REMAINING ELEVATED.  
 
UNFORTUNATELY CONFIDENCE IN HOW THE REST OF THE DAY UNFOLDS  
REMAINS QUITE LOW SO EXPECT FREQUENT UPDATES FROM US THROUGHOUT  
THE DAY. THE SURFACE LOW IS EXPECTED TO GRADUALLY DEEPEN AS IT  
LIFTS NORTH NORTHEAST TOWARD THE UPPER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY  
THROUGH THE DAY TODAY. THE AFOREMENTIONED LINE OF PRE-FRONTAL  
CONVECTION IS EXPECTED TO LIFT ACROSS THE AREA THROUGH THE  
MORNING HOURS. WHILE THERE CONTINUE TO BE NOTABLE MODEL  
DIFFERENCES IN HANDLING THE VARIOUS WAVES/LINES OF CONVECTION,  
PARTICULARLY AROUND MIDDAY, IF SOME CLEARING CAN OCCUR DURING  
THIS TIME, STRONG LOW-LEVEL FLOW WOULD SUPPORT RAPID RECOVERY  
OF THE LOW-LEVEL THERMAL ENVIRONMENT, ESPECIALLY SOUTH AND EAST  
OF I-55. AREAS FURTHER NORTH WE CONTINUE TO HAVE THE LOWEST  
CONFIDENCE. WILL ALSO HAVE TO KEEP AN EYE ON THE COLD FRONT  
WHICH COULD SERVE AS ANOTHER FOCUS FOR RENEWED DEVELOPMENT IN  
THE LATE AFTERNOON INTO EARLY EVENING WITH THE 6Z NAMNEST STILL  
SHOWING THIS SCENARIO.  
 
THUS WE PLAN TO CONTINUE MESSAGING THE CONDITIONAL POTENTIAL  
FOR SEVERE WEATHER ACROSS THE ENTIRE AREA, THOUGH WITH GREATER  
CONFIDENCE (ALBEIT STILL RELATIVELY LOW) IN AREAS MAINLY SOUTH  
AND EAST OF I-55 THIS AFTERNOON INTO EARLY EVENING. ALL HAZARDS  
REMAIN POSSIBLE WITH THE AFTERNOON/EARLY EVENING THUNDERSTORMS,  
INCLUDING DAMAGING WINDS, LARGE HAIL, AND TORNADOES. LASTLY,  
GIVEN THE EXPECTED MULTIPLE ROUNDS OF CONVECTION, LOCALIZED  
FLOODING WILL BE POSSIBLE IN LOW-LYING, URBAN, AND POOR DRAINAGE  
AREAS.  
 
NON-THUNDERSTORM WINDS:  
 
THERE IS A WINDOW WHERE IF STORMS ARE ABLE TO CLEAR OUT EVEN  
BRIEFLY IN THE AFTERNOON, WITH A STRONG LOW-LEVEL JET OVERHEAD,  
SLIGHTLY DEEPER MIXING WOULD TAP INTO THESE STRONGER WINDS. DUE  
TO THIS POTENTIAL, OPTED TO ISSUE A WIND ADVISORY FOR OUR  
SOUTHWESTERN COUNTIES (MAINLY SOUTH OF A MENDOTA TO KANKAKEE TO  
FOWLER LINE WHERE NON-THUNDERSTORM WIND GUSTS COULD EXCEED 45  
MPH IN THE AFTERNOON. FURTHER NORTH, WIND GUSTS TO 35-40 MPH  
WILL REMAIN POSSIBLE WITH PERHAPS A SHORT 1-2 HOUR PERIOD WHERE  
SPORADIC GUSTS TO 45 MAY STILL OCCUR.  
 
TONIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY:  
 
AFTER STORMS CLEAR THE AREA, EXPECT WINDS TO EASE AND  
TEMPERATURES TO DROP INTO THE 40S ACROSS THE AREA. HEADING INTO  
THURSDAY WE WARM BACK INTO THE 50S WITH OUR NEXT WEATHER SYSTEM  
BEGINNING TO LIFT TOWARD THE AREA TOWARD THE END OF THE DAY WITH  
INCREASING RAIN CHANCES SOUTH OF I-80.  
 
PETR  
 
THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY:  
 
THERE REMAINS UNCERTAINTY FOR A PERIOD OF SHOWERS THURSDAY  
NIGHT, GENERALLY SOUTH OF I-80. THE NAM WAS THE FIRST TO SHOW  
THIS POTENTIAL AS IT ENTERED THE END OF ITS RUNS AND IT STILL  
SHOWS SHOWERS ACROSS THE SOUTHERN HALF OR SO OF THE CWA THURSDAY  
NIGHT. THE 03Z RAP IS NOW OUT THROUGH PART OF THIS TIME PERIOD  
AND IT TOO IS SHOWING SHOWERS ACROSS MUCH OF THE SOUTHERN CWA  
THURSDAY NIGHT. OTHERWISE, NOT MUCH SUPPORT FOR THIS POTENTIAL.  
CHANCE POPS SEEM REASONABLE FOR NOW.  
 
IF THOSE SHOWERS DEVELOP, A SHORT BREAK IS EXPECTED FROM EARLY  
FRIDAY MORNING THROUGH EARLY FRIDAY AFTERNOON AND THEN THE  
MODELS CONTINUE TO BRING THE NEXT SYSTEM FURTHER NORTH WITH EACH  
RUN WITH PERIODS OF RAIN, POSSIBLY HEAVY AT TIMES FROM LATE  
FRIDAY AFTERNOON INTO EARLY SATURDAY MORNING. PRECIPITABLE WATER  
VALUES INCREASE TO AN INCH OR SO ACROSS THE NORTH TO AS HIGH AS  
1.5 INCHES ACROSS THE SOUTH DURING THIS TIME PERIOD. WITH THE  
POSSIBILITY OF HOURS OF MODERATE/HEAVY RAIN, THERE COULD BE A  
BAND OF QPF AMOUNTS IN THE 2-3 INCH RANGE ACROSS THE SOUTHERN  
CWA. WHILE CONFIDENCE IS INCREASING WITH THE NORTHERN SHIFT TO  
THIS RAIN/QPF AXIS, STILL 3 DAYS AWAY AND MORE CHANGES ARE  
POSSIBLE. IF THESE TRENDS WERE TO CONTINUE, HYDRO CONCERNS MAY  
DEVELOP ACROSS THE SOUTHERN CWA. PRECIPITATION LOOKS TO  
DISSIPATE BY MID/LATE SATURDAY MORNING AND THEN ONE MORE PUSH OF  
PRECIP SATURDAY AFTERNOON/EVENING AS THE SYSTEM FINALLY PULLS  
AWAY. GFS ACTUALLY TURNS SOME OF THE PRECIP TO SNOW EARLY SUNDAY  
MORNING, AS THE SYSTEM DEPARTS AND COLDER AIR MOVES INTO THE  
AREA. NO SNOW MENTION PLANNED WITH THIS FORECAST.  
 
NOW APPEARS THERE WILL BE A STRONGER COLD FRONT MOVING SOUTH  
SOMETIME MONDAY THAT WILL BRING COLDER AIR INTO THE REGION WITH  
PERHAPS A LOW CHANCE FOR PRECIP, MAYBE SNOW SHOWERS, AS IT  
PASSES THE AREA. CMS  
 

 
   
AVIATION /06Z TAFS THROUGH 12Z THURSDAY/
 
 
ISSUED AT 1230 AM CDT WED APR 2 2025  
 
PRIMARY FORECAST CONCERNS INCLUDE...  
 
MULTIPLE HOURS OF SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH LATE MORNING.  
CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON.  
IFR/LIFR CIGS OVERNIGHT THROUGH EARLY/MID AFTERNOON.  
STRONG SOUTHEAST WINDS SHIFTING SOUTHWEST MID/LATE AFTERNOON.  
LOW LEVEL WIND SHEAR MID MORNING INTO MID AFTERNOON.  
 
LOW CONFIDENCE TO MAKE ANY SIGNIFICANT CHANGES TO CURRENT  
FORECAST THOUGH CHANGES TO THUNDER COVERAGE/TIMING WILL LIKELY  
BE NEEDED WITH LATER FORECASTS/UPDATES.  
 
SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP OVER THE NEXT  
FEW HOURS AND INCREASE IN COVERAGE IN THE PREDAWN HOURS ACROSS  
THE TERMINALS AND PERSIST THROUGH AT LEAST SUNRISE, WHICH IS  
COVERED BY CURRENT TEMPO MENTION. THERE IS SOME CONSENSUS OF A  
1-3 HOUR BREAK MID MORNING, BEFORE ANOTHER ROUND OF  
THUNDERSTORMS MAY SPREAD ACROSS THE TERMINALS IN THE LATE  
MORNING/EARLY AFTERNOON. THIS TIME PERIOD IS CURRENTLY ONLY  
COVERED WITH VICINITY THUNDER MENTION AND MAY NEED TEMPO  
MENTION WITH LATER FORECASTS. THERE REMAINS QUITE A BIT OF  
UNCERTAINTY AS TO HOW CONVECTIVE TRENDS WILL EVOLVE AFTER THE  
EARLY MORNING ACTIVITY. THERE MAY THEN BE A LARGER BREAK IN THE  
PRECIP, PERHAPS 2-4 HOURS IN THE AFTERNOON UNTIL A POSSIBLE LINE  
OF THUNDERSTORMS MOVES ACROSS THE TERMINALS IN THE LATE  
AFTERNOON/EARLY EVENING. THIS TIME PERIOD IS COVERED WITH PROB  
MENTION, WHICH LOOKS FINE FOR NOW. ALL OF THESE STORMS MAY  
PRODUCE HEAVY RAIN AND REDUCE VISIBILITY INTO THE 1SM RANGE.  
 
VFR CIGS TO START WILL LOWER INTO LOW MVFR OVERNIGHT AND INTO  
IFR BY DAYBREAK WITH LIFR CIGS EXPECTED FOR AT LAST SOME TIME  
PERIOD LATER THIS MORNING. CIGS MAY LIFT BACK TO IFR OR LOW MVFR  
EARLY THIS AFTERNOON AND THEN ARE EXPECTED TO SCATTER OUT AS A  
WARM FRONT LIFTS NORTH ACROSS THE TERMINALS.  
 
SOUTHEAST WINDS WILL GUST INTO THE 30-35KT RANGE OVERNIGHT AND  
MAY DIMINISH SOME AFTER SUNRISE. LOW LEVEL SOUTH/SOUTHWEST WINDS  
WILL BE STEADILY INCREASING AFTER DAYBREAK AND LOW LEVEL WIND  
SHEAR MENTION LOOKS ON TRACK FOR BOTH SPEEDS AND DIRECTIONAL  
DIFFERENCES. WINDS WILL EVENTUALLY TURN SOUTH/SOUTHWEST THIS  
AFTERNOON AS THE WARM FRONT LIFTS NORTH. OUTSIDE OF  
THUNDERSTORMS, PREVAILING WINDS MAY GUST INTO THE 35-40KT RANGE  
MID/LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND THEN DIMINISH SOME WITH SUNSET AND  
TURN MORE TO THE SOUTHWEST. CMS  
 

 
   
MARINE
 
 
ISSUED AT 330 PM CDT WED APR 2 2025  
 
- GALE WARNING IN EFFECT THROUGH 7 PM CDT THIS EVENING.  
 
SOUTHEAST GALES GUSTING TO 35 KT ARE EXPECTED TO CONTINUE  
THROUGH DAYBREAK THIS MORNING. IT IS POSSIBLE THERE IS A BRIEF  
LULL IN GALES TOWARD MIDDAY. HOWEVER, EXPECT WIND GUSTS TO  
INCREASE OUT OF THE SOUTHWEST DURING THE AFTERNOON TO 35 KT AS A  
DEEPENING SURFACE LOW LIFTS ACROSS THE UPPER MISSISSIPPI  
VALLEY. WINDS THEN GRADUALLY EASE TOWARD SUNSET BEHIND A  
DEPARTING COLD FRONT.  
 
NWS CHICAGO  
 

 
   
LOT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
 
 
IL...WIND ADVISORY FROM NOON TODAY TO 7 PM CDT THIS EVENING FOR  
ILZ019-ILZ021-ILZ023-ILZ032-ILZ033-ILZ039.  
 
IN...WIND ADVISORY FROM NOON CDT /1 PM EDT/ TODAY TO 7 PM CDT /8 PM  
EDT/ THIS EVENING FOR INZ010-INZ019.  
 
LM...GALE WARNING UNTIL 6 PM CDT THIS EVENING FOR THE IL AND IN  
NEARSHORE WATERS.  
 

 
 

 
 
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