830  
FXUS63 KLOT 201801  
AFDLOT  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHICAGO/ROMEOVILLE, IL  
101 PM CDT SUN APR 20 2025  
   
KEY MESSAGES  
 
- BREEZY AND COOL TODAY WITH SHOWERS AT TIMES.  
 
- WIDESPREAD SHOWERS WITH EMBEDDED THUNDERSTORMS TONIGHT. A FEW  
STRONGER STORMS WITH LOCALLY GUSTY WINDS POSSIBLE ESPECIALLY  
SOUTH OF I-80.  
 
- WINDY CONDITIONS ON MONDAY WITH WEST-SOUTHWEST GUSTS IN THE  
35-45 MPH RANGE.  
 
- WELL ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES EXPECTED INLAND OF THE LAKE  
FOR THE REST OF THE UPCOMING WEEK AFTER A COOL MONDAY.  
 
 
   
DISCUSSION  
 
ISSUED AT 358 AM CDT SUN APR 20 2025  
 
THROUGH MONDAY:  
 
A PRONOUNCED TROUGH CONTINUES TO EJECT INTO THE SOUTHERN PLAINS  
THIS MORNING AND WILL BEGIN TO LIFT INTO THE MID-MISSISSIPPI  
VALLEY LATER TODAY BECOMING MORE NEGATIVELY TILTED AS IT DOES  
SO. AT THE SAME TIME, THE BAGGY SURFACE LOW OVER CENTRAL TX WILL  
GRADUALLY DEEPEN AS IT TOO LIFTS INTO THE MISSISSIPPI VALLEY  
FORCING THE STALLED FRONTAL BOUNDARY ACROSS THE OHIO RIVER  
VALLEY TO PROPAGATE NORTHWARD AS A WARM FRONT INTO OUR CWA.  
RECENT RADAR TRENDS CONTINUE TO SHOW SHOWERS FESTERING ALONG THE  
FRONTAL BOUNDARY WHICH WILL PIVOT INTO NORTHERN IL AND  
NORTHWEST IN TOWARDS THE MID-MORNING HOURS (BETWEEN 8 AM AND 10  
AM CDT). HOWEVER, THE DRY LOW-LEVEL AIRMASS OVERHEAD AND  
ADVANCING DRY SLOT THIS AFTERNOON ARE EXPECTED TO WORK IN TANDEM  
TO GENERATE A MORE SCATTERED COVERAGE OF SHOWERS ACROSS OUR  
AREA ESPECIALLY DURING THE AFTERNOON HOURS. SO EXPECT PERIODS OF  
DRY WEATHER TODAY ESPECIALLY WITH EASTWARD EXTENT.  
 
ASIDE FROM THE SHOWERS, THE ADVANCING WARM FRONT WILL ALSO  
GENERATE A GRADIENT IN TEMPERATURES ACROSS THE AREA TODAY. THOSE  
TO THE NORTH OF THE BOUNDARY (ROUGHLY THOSE NORTH OF I-88) WILL  
LIKELY REMAIN IN THE LOWER 50S TODAY AS STOUT EAST WINDS ADVECT  
COOLER AIR OFF OF LAKE MICHIGAN, MEANWHILE THOSE TO THE SOUTH  
OF THE BOUNDARY WILL LIKELY SEE HIGHS IN THE UPPER 50S TO AROUND  
60 (POSSIBLY MID-60S NEAR US-24) AS WINDS WILL FAVOR A MORE  
SOUTH OF EAST DIRECTION. REGARDLESS, THE TIGHTENING PRESSURE  
GRADIENT AND MODEST MIXING WILL CAUSE WINDS TO BECOME QUITE  
BREEZY WITH GUSTS IN THE 25-30 MPH RANGE.  
 
HEADING INTO TONIGHT, THE AFOREMENTIONED SURFACE LOW AND  
ASSOCIATED TROUGH WILL BE PIVOTING ACROSS IA AS THEY TRACK  
TOWARDS WI AND EVENTUALLY NORTHERN MI. THIS WILL FORCE THE  
SYSTEM'S COLD FRONT TO SWING THROUGH THE AREA OVERNIGHT BRINGING  
WITH IT A MORE WIDESPREAD COVERAGE OF SHOWERS AND EMBEDDED  
THUNDERSTORMS. GIVEN THAT THE FRONT AND ASSOCIATED  
SHOWERS/STORMS ARE NOT EXPECTED TO ARRIVE UNTIL WELL AFTER  
SUNSET (AFTER 11 PM FOR MOST), INSTABILITY WILL BE IN THE  
PROCESS OF WANING AND MAINLY CENTERED ABOVE 850MB. THUS THE  
THUNDERSTORMS SHOULD BE IN A DECAYING STATE AS THE FRONT MOVES  
THROUGH, HOWEVER, THE STRONG FORCING AND STOUT KINEMATIC FIELD  
(EFFECTIVE SHEAR AROUND 40-50 KTS) MAY STILL ALLOW A FEW  
STRONGER STORMS TO LINGER INTO OUR CWA PARTICULARLY SOUTH OF  
I-80. ANY STRONGER STORMS THAT DO MATERIALIZE WILL HAVE A THREAT  
FOR LOCALLY GUSTY WINDS UP TO 50-60 MPH.  
 
THE SHOWERS AND STORMS WILL TAPER MONDAY MORNING AS THE FRONT  
EXITS TO THE EAST AND THE LOW PIVOTS MORE INTO NORTHERN MI.  
THEREFORE, DRY CONDITIONS AND GRADUALLY CLEARING SKIES ARE  
EXPECTED FOR MONDAY. HOWEVER, THE COLD ADVECTION BEHIND THE  
SYSTEM WILL KEEP TEMPERATURES ON THE COOL SIDE THE HIGHS ONLY  
PEAKING IN THE MID TO UPPER 50S. ADDITIONALLY, THE COLD  
ADVECTION IN COMBINATION WITH THE TIGHT PRESSURE GRADIENT BEHIND  
THE LOW WILL ALSO GENERATE RATHER WINDY CONDITIONS. THAT SAID,  
GUSTS ON MONDAY WILL LIKELY PEAK IN THE 35-40 MPH RANGE OUT OF  
THE WEST-SOUTHWEST BUT THERE IS THE POTENTIAL FOR HIGHER GUSTS  
UP TO 45 MPH IF DEEPER MIXING IS ACHIEVED.  
 
YACK  
 
MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY:  
 
IN THE WAKE OF TODAY/MONDAY'S SYSTEM, PATTERN ACROSS THE CONUS  
WILL TRANSITION TO MOSTLY ZONAL FLOW FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE  
UPCOMING WORK WEEK. A STRONGER THAN USUAL BERMUDA HIGH AND LEE  
TROUGHING WILL RESULT IN PERSISTENT AND BROAD SOUTHERLY FLOW OFF  
THE GULF, PULLING MOIST AIR NORTH ACROSS MUCH OF THE CENTRAL  
AND EASTERN PORTIONS OF THE COUNTRY.  
 
GUIDANCE IS IN SURPRISINGLY GOOD AGREEMENT BRINGING A LOW  
AMPLITUDE WAVE RIPPLING THROUGH THE ZONAL FLOW ACROSS THE  
MIDWEST AND WESTERN GREAT LAKES LATER TUESDAY AND TUESDAY NIGHT.  
THE HEIGHT FALLS WITH THIS WAVES WILL ENCOURAGE A MODEST  
SOUTHERLY LOW LEVEL JET TO DEVELOP AND STRENGTHEN THETA-A  
ADVECTION TUESDAY NIGHT. THE SHOULD RESULT IN A PERIOD OF  
SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS TUESDAY NIGHT, ESPECIALLY NORTH OF  
I-80 AS IT LOOKS NOW.  
 
ANOTHER, MORE PRONOUNCED NORTHERN STREAM SHORTWAVE TROUGH WILL  
PASS MOSTLY NORTH OF THE AREA LATER IN THE WEEK. COLD FRONT  
TRAILING FROM THE ACCOMPANYING SFC LOW SHOULD MOVE ACROSS THE  
AREA LATE THURSDAY/EARLY FRIDAY TIME FRAME, BRINGING WITH IT  
ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY FOR SOME SHOWERS AND STORMS.  
 
AFTER SEASONABLY COOL TEMPS MONDAY, LOOK FOR A WARMING TREND TO  
SOLIDLY ABOVE AVERAGE TEMPERATURES TUESDAY THROUGH THURSDAY. AS  
IS SO OFTEN THE CASE THIS TIME OF YEAR, LAKE BREEZES EACH  
AFTERNOON SHOULD KEEP TEMPS NOTABLY COOLER NEAR THE LAKE. A  
RETURN TO MORE SEASONABLE TEMPERATURES IS EXPECTED JUST IN TIME  
FOR THE WEEKEND IN THE WAKE OF THE LATE WEEK COLD FRONT.  
 
- IZZI  
 
 
   
AVIATION /18Z TAFS THROUGH 00Z TUESDAY/  
 
ISSUED AT 101 PM CDT SUN APR 20 2025  
 
KEY MESSAGES:  
 
- WIDELY SCATTERED VFR -SHRA THIS AFTERNOON, GREATEST COVERAGE  
WEST OF THE CHICAGO TERMINALS.  
 
- PERIOD OF SHOWERS (AND POSSIBLY A FEW THUNDERSTORMS) MID TO  
LATE THIS EVENING THROUGH ~3AM MONDAY MORNING.  
 
- EASTERLY WINDS TURN SOUTH-SOUTHEASTERLY THIS EVENING, THEN  
INCREASE FROM THE SOUTH-SOUTHWEST OVERNIGHT. GUSTY WEST-  
SOUTHWEST WINDS EXPECTED MONDAY, WITH MVFR CIGS.  
 
A ROBUST STORM SYSTEM WILL TRACK NORTHWARD FROM EASTERN KS  
INTO WI BY EARLY MONDAY MORNING. AS IT DOES SO, A PERIOD OF  
WIDELY SCATTERED -SHRA WILL MOVE ACROSS PARTS OF NORTHERN IL  
THIS AFTERNOON, WITH THE HIGHEST COVERAGE LIKELY REMAINING NEAR  
AND WEST OF THE MAIN CHICAGO TERMINALS. A FEW EMBEDDED  
THUNDERSTORMS WILL ALSO ACCOMPANY THIS ACTIVITY.  
 
FOLLOWING A BRIEF BREAK IN THE SHOWERS LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND  
EARLY EVENING, ANOTHER LINE OF SHOWERS (AND POSSIBLY SOME  
EMBEDDED THUNDERSTORMS) WILL DEVELOP AND SHIFT EASTWARD ACROSS  
THE TERMINALS IN ADVANCE OF AN APPROACHING COLD FRONT LATER THIS  
EVENING. THE FAVORED TIMING FOR THESE SHOWERS REMAINS ON TRACK  
TO BE IN THE 04-05Z THROUGH 08Z TIMEFRAME TONIGHT AT THE MAIN  
CHICAGO TERMINALS, AND 03Z TO 06Z TIMEFRAME AT RFD.  
ACCORDINGLY, I MADE NO CHANGES TO THE GOING TEMPO FOR SHRA  
DURING THIS PERIOD. THE ONLY THING WE WILL HAVE TO KEEP AN EYE  
OUT FOR IS ANY SHOWERS AND/OR STORMS THAT ATTEMPT TO DEVELOP IN  
ADVANCE OF THE MAIN LINE. IF THIS OCCURS, SOME SHOWERS AND  
STORMS COULD IMPACT THE CHICAGO TERMINALS AS EARLY AS 02-03Z.  
HOWEVER, CONFIDENCE ON THE COVERAGE AND OCCURRENCE OF THIS  
POTENTIAL EARLIER ACTIVITY REMAINS TOO LOW FOR MUCH MORE THAN A  
VCSH MENTION AT THIS POINT.  
 
WINDS WILL SHIFT SOUTHERLY AND BECOME INCREASINGLY GUSTY  
OVERNIGHT, BEFORE ULTIMATELY BECOMING WEST-SOUTHWESTERLY DURING  
THE DAYLIGHT HOURS OF MONDAY. EXPECT FREQUENT GUSTS OF 30-34 KT,  
PARTICULARLY MONDAY MORNING. A DECK OF MVFR STRATUS ALSO LOOKS  
TO SHIFT INTO THE AREA FOLLOWING THE COLD FRONTAL PASSAGE LATE  
TONIGHT. THIS DECK OF STRATUS MAY HANG ON ACROSS THE AREA FOR  
MUCH OF THE DAY, BUT BASES ARE LIKELY TO UNDERGO A GRADUAL  
DIURNAL IMPROVEMENT THROUGH THE AFTERNOON.  
 
KJB  
 
 
   
MARINE  
 
ISSUED AT 358 AM CDT SUN APR 20 2025  
 
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY ISSUED FOR PERIOD OF 25-30 KT WINDS  
TONIGHT WITH A GALE WATCH MAINTAINED FOR MONDAY.  
 
LOW PRESSURE AT OR JUST UNDER 1000 MB WILL TRACK FROM  
IOWA TONIGHT TO NORTHERN LOWER MICHIGAN MONDAY AFTERNOON AND  
ACROSS LAKE HURON MONDAY EVENING. BREEZY EAST-SOUTHEAST WINDS  
TONIGHT WILL RESULT IN HAZARDOUS WAVES FOR SMALL CRAFT ALONG  
THE ILLINOIS AND INDIANA NEARSHORES. THEN IN THE WAKE OF THE  
SYSTEM ON MONDAY, WINDS WILL QUICKLY SHIFT TO SOUTHWEST AND THEN  
WEST WHILE RAPIDLY INCREASING DUE TO A TIGHT PRESSURE GRADIENT.  
GIVEN THAT SOME UNCERTAINTY REMAINS IN THE EXACT MAGNITUDE OF  
WIND GUSTS ON MONDAY, THE GALE WATCH WAS MAINTAINED WITH THIS  
FORECAST PACKAGE. THEREFORE, THE MARINE FORECAST WILL HAVE WEST-  
SOUTHWEST GALES TO 35 KT MENTIONED BUT THERE REMAINS THE  
POTENTIAL FOR HIGHER GUSTS NEAR 40 KTS IF DEEPER MIXING IS  
ACHIEVED.  
 
YACK  
 
 
   
LOT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES  
 
IL...NONE.  
IN...NONE.  
LM...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FROM 7 PM THIS EVENING TO 7 AM CDT MONDAY  
FOR THE IL AND IN NEARSHORE WATERS.  
 
GALE WATCH FROM MONDAY MORNING THROUGH MONDAY EVENING FOR THE  
IL AND IN NEARSHORE WATERS.  
 
 
 
 
 
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