982
FXUS63 KLOT 160840
AFDLOT
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHICAGO/ROMEOVILLE, IL
340 AM CDT THU APR 16 2026
KEY MESSAGES
- WE'LL BE MONITORING FOR FOG DEVELOPMENT THIS EVENING INTO
EARLY FRIDAY, WITH THE HIGHEST CHANCE FOR DENSE FOG NEAR THE
LAKE.
- FOLLOWING AN UNSEASONABLY WARM AND BREEZY FRIDAY AFTERNOON,
YET ANOTHER SEVERE WEATHER THREAT IS ANTICIPATED LATE DAY
FRIDAY INTO FRIDAY EVENING, ESPECIALLY NEAR AND WEST OF I-39.
THERE WILL ALSO BE AN AREAWIDE THREAT FOR FLASH FLOODING.
- COOLER AIR ARRIVES INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK AND MAY BRING
FROST/FREEZE CONCERNS EARLY SUNDAY AND MONDAY MORNINGS.
DISCUSSION
ISSUED AT 340 AM CDT THU APR 16 2026
THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT:
THE PATTERN REGIONALLY WILL BE MUCH QUIETER TODAY THROUGH FRIDAY
MORNING, GIVING A BRIEF BREAK TO DRY OUT AHEAD OF THE FINAL
STORM SYSTEM IN THE VERY ACTIVE/STORMY PATTERN OVER THE PAST
WEEK. AS THE MAIN MID-UPPER TROUGH AXIS OVER THE MID AND UPPER
MS VALLEY EARLY THIS MORNING SHIFTS OVER THE CENTRAL GREAT LAKES
BY EARLY TO MID AFTERNOON, EXPECT WIDELY SCATTERED SHOWERS AND
PERHAPS A FEW THUNDERSTORMS TO FOCUS OVER THE NORTHEAST 1/3 TO
1/2 OR SO OF THE CWA. A LAKE BREEZE SLOWLY PUSHING INLAND MAY
PROVIDE ADDITIONAL FOCUS TO MODESTLY ENHANCE COVERAGE NEAR THE
LAKE. PRECIPITABLE WATERS MERELY A BIT ABOVE AVERAGE FOR MID
APRIL (VS. PRIOR SUMMER-LIKE VALUES THIS WEEK) WILL STILL BE
SUFFICIENT FOR LOCALIZED DOWNPOURS WITH ANY DEEPER CORES, BUT
LIMITED COVERAGE WILL KEEP FLOODING POTENTIAL BELOW 5%. HIGHS
WILL RANGE FROM THE UPPER 60S TO MID 70S (WARMEST SOUTH OF I-80)
FOR MOST TODAY, THOUGH NOTE THAT TEMPS WILL FALL INTO THE 50S
NEAR THE LAKE THIS AFTERNOON.
ATTENTION FOR LATE TODAY THROUGH TONIGHT WILL TURN TO PRE-
EXISTING FOG AND VERY LOW STRATUS OVER SOUTHERN LAKE MICHIGAN.
ONSHORE WINDS (AND COOLING TEMPS/DECREASING T/TD SPREADS) IN
THE WAKE OF THE LAKE BREEZE PASSAGE THIS AFTERNOON COULD ENABLE
PATCHY FOG TO BLEED INLAND NEAR THE SHORELINE PRIOR TO SUNSET
THIS EVENING. WEAK SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE BUILDING OVER THE LAKE
WILL BE CONDUCIVE FOR A PERIOD OF GOOD RADIATIONAL COOLING AND
ASSOCIATED FOG DEVELOPMENT AND/OR LAKESHORE FOG SLOWLY OOZING
INLAND. WHILE CONFIDENCE ISN'T ALL THAT HIGH IN THE FOG
POTENTIAL WITH INLAND EXTENT, THERE'S BEEN ENOUGH OF A SIGNAL
FOR PATCHY FOG MENTION OVER THE NORTHEAST HALF OF THE CWA. WHERE
CONFIDENCE IS HIGHER, NEAR THE LAKE IN NORTHEAST ILLINOIS AND
FAR NORTHWEST INDIANA, INDICATED AREAS OF FOG. STRENGTHENING
SOUTHERLY FLOW ALOFT IN THE PRE-DAWN HOURS OF FRIDAY MAY HELP
ERODE SOME OF THE FOG, WITH THE POSSIBLE EXCEPTION OF NEAR THE
ILLINOIS SHORE.
FRIDAY WILL BE THE LAST SUMMER-LIKE WARM AND BREEZY DAY OF THIS
STRETCH, OUT AHEAD OF AN ELONGATED SURFACE LOW LIFTING TOWARDS
WESTERN LAKE SUPERIOR. EXPECT HIGHS IN THE LOW TO LOCALLY MID
80S AWAY FROM THE FAR NORTHEAST IL SHORE (WHICH WILL REACH THE
70S TOWARDS EVENING), AND SOUTHERLY WINDS GUSTING UP TO 30-35
MPH. LINGERING LOWER DEW POINTS FROM UNDERNEATH THE DEPARTING
SURFACE HIGH, SOUTH-SOUTHEAST WINDS TO OFFSET SURFACE MOISTURE
RETURN WITH EASTWARD EXTENT, AND PARCHED MID-LEVELS WILL YIELD
A FAIRLY SHARP INSTABILITY GRADIENT FROM THE MS RIVER TO THE
LONGITUDE OF LAKE MICHIGAN BY MID FRIDAY AFTERNOON.
THE BIG QUESTION MARKS FOR THE SEVERE SETUP ARE WITH RESPECT TO
TIMING OF CONVECTIVE INITIATION NEAR THE MS RIVER AND STORM MODE
UPON APPROACH INTO NORTHWEST AND NORTH CENTRAL ILLINOIS LATE
FRIDAY AFTERNOON OR EARLY FRIDAY EVENING. DEEP LAYER SHEAR WILL
ONCE AGAIN BE SUPPORTIVE OF SEVERE WEATHER. IF CI OCCURS
EARLIER (BY ~3-5PM) AND SUFFICIENTLY CLOSE TO OUR FAR WESTERN
CWA COUNTIES, THERE MAY BE A PLAY FOR INITIAL DISCRETE/SEMI-
DISCRETE SUPERCELLS WITH AN ATTENDANT DAMAGING HAIL THREAT. EVEN
IN NORTHWEST IL, FAIRLY LARGE T/TD SPREADS MAY SERVE TO LIMIT
AN APPRECIABLE SUPERCELLULAR TORNADO THREAT.
AFTER POSSIBLE INITIAL DISCRETE MODE, THERE SHOULD BE A QUICK
TRANSITION TO LINEAR/QLCS AS COLD FRONTAL FORCING TAKES HOLD.
THE CI TIMING QUESTION IS THUS ALSO IMPORTANT IN TERMS OF FAR
EAST A DAMAGING WIND (AND EMBEDDED QLCS TORNADO THREAT) WILL
REACH FRIDAY EVENING UNTIL THE THREAT WANES OVERNIGHT FRIDAY
NIGHT. THE DRIER PROFILES INTO THE CHICAGO METRO AND POINTS
SOUTH WILL BE DEEPLY MIXED WITH INVERTED V CHARACTERISTICS AT
THE LOW LEVELS. SO EVEN IF STORMS GET GOING EARLY AND TRANSITION
TO A WEAKENING SQUALL LINE OUTRACING THE INSTABILITY GRADIENT,
AN EARLIER ARRIVAL WOULD STILL ENTAIL A SEVERE WIND THREAT WITH
OUTFLOW DOMINANT SEGMENTS. ALL IN ALL, SPC'S INITIAL DAY 2
OUTLOOK APPEARS REASONABLE FOR THE SETUP, WITH A 3/5 THREAT
LEVEL (ENHANCED RISK) NEAR/WEST OF I-39 TAPERING TO A 1/5 THREAT
LEVEL (MARGINAL RISK) NEAR/EAST OF I-57.
A VERY PROGRESSIVE MCS/QLCS FRIDAY NIGHT WOULD LIMIT THE
RESIDENCE TIME OF TORRENTIAL RAINFALL AND THE ASSOCIATED
FLOODING THREAT. HOWEVER, WITH THE VERY RAINY STRETCH OF LATE
FOR MUCH OF THE AREA AND ALREADY ELEVATED RIVER LEVELS, IT WON'T
TAKE MUCH FOR RENEWED RISES AND LOCALIZED FLASH FLOODING.
BACKBUILDING OF CONVECTION BEHIND INITIAL OUTFLOW BOUNDARY, ON
THE OTHER HAND, WOULD CORRESPONDINGLY INCREASE THE FLOOD THREAT,
ESPECIALLY FOR HARDEST HIT AREAS THIS WEEK AND/OR URBAN AREAS.
SATURDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY:
THE MOST RECENT MODEL GUIDANCE FOR SATURDAY HAS PRETTY
UNANIMOUSLY SPED UP THE TIMING OF THE COLD FRONTAL PASSAGE TO
YIELD A MOSTLY DRY DAY FOR MUCH OF IF NOT THE ENTIRE AREA. BEST
CHANCE (30-50%) FOR ANY LINGERING SHOWERS PAST SUNRISE WILL BE
FOR AREAS SOUTHEAST OF I-55. SATURDAY AFTERNOON WILL TREND TO
PARTLY CLOUDY TO MOSTLY SUNNY, ALBEIT NOTABLY COOLER (50S) WITH
BLUSTERY WEST-NORTHWEST WINDS. COLD AIR ADVECTION AND DRY
ADVECTION THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT-EARLY SUNDAY WILL SET THE STAGE
FOR LOWS IN THE 30S, POSSIBLY FLIRTING WITH FREEZING ACROSS
PARTS OF INTERIOR NORTHERN IL. FOLLOWING A COOL AND BREEZY
SUNDAY, ~1030 MB HIGH PRESSURE OVER THE REGION WILL LIKELY BE
CONDUCIVE TO AT LEAST AREAS OF FROST AS TEMPS DIP TO THE LOW-MID
30S OUTSIDE OF CHICAGO, IF NOT COLDER IN SPOTS. AGRICULTURAL
INTERESTS ARE ADVISED TO MONITOR FORECASTS THROUGH EARLY NEXT
WEEK.
COOLER CONDITIONS INTO MONDAY MORNING WILL BE SHORT-LIVED
HOWEVER, WITH EXTENDED GUIDANCE FAVORING A RETURN TO HIGH
AMPLITUDE RIDGING ACROSS THE CENTRAL CONUS AND UNSEASONABLY WARM
TEMPERATURES RETURNING TO THE REGION BY MIDWEEK NEXT WEEK.
DESPITE THE RETURNING WARMTH NEXT WEEK AWAY FROM LAKE MICHIGAN,
A BLOCKY MID-UPPER PATTERN WILL FAVOR MUCH LESS STORMY
CONDITIONS OVER THE LOCAL AREA, GIVING A LONGER PERIOD TO DRY
OUT FROM THIS WEEK'S RAIN.
CASTRO
AVIATION /06Z TAFS THROUGH 12Z FRIDAY/
ISSUED AT 1233 AM CDT THU APR 16 2026
FORECAST CONCERNS INCLUDE...
- WIND DIRECTIONS DURING THE EARLY OVERNIGHT HOURS.
- WIND SHIFT TO NORTHEAST THURSDAY AFTERNOON.
- MVFR CIGS OVERNIGHT INTO THURSDAY.
- PERIODIC SHOWER CHANCES.
A LINE OF SHOWERS WITH EMBEDDED THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE
MOVING AWAY FROM THE TERMINALS THROUGH THE EARLY OVERNIGHT.
THERE WILL BE CONTINUED CHANCES FOR SHOWERS THROUGH THURSDAY
AFTERNOON WITH QUITE A BIT OF UNCERTAINTY FOR TIMING AND HAVE
INCLUDED PROLONGED PERIODS OF VICINITY SHOWER MENTION. IT
APPEARS THE BEST CHANCE FOR ADDITIONAL SHOWERS WILL BE FROM LATE
MORNING THROUGH EARLY AFTERNOON BUT TIMING WILL NEED TO BE
ADJUSTED AS TRENDS EMERGE. AN ISOLATED THUNDERSTORM IS POSSIBLE,
BUT NO MENTION WITH EXPECTED LOW COVERAGE.
PREVAILING WINDS ARE SHIFTING TO THE EAST SOUTHEAST ACROSS
NORTHWEST IL IN THE WAKE OF THE SHOWERS AND THIS SOUTHEAST SHIFT
IS EXPECTED ACROSS THE CHICAGO TERMINALS, AT LEAST FOR A SHORT
TIME, BEFORE WINDS TURN BACK TO THE SOUTHWEST EARLY THIS
MORNING. CONFIDENCE IS LOW FOR SPECIFIC DIRECTIONS AND CHANGES
MAY BE NEEDED. WINDS MAY BEGIN TO GUST INTO THE 20KT RANGE BY
DAYBREAK AS DIRECTIONS SLOWLY TURN MORE WESTERLY THURSDAY
MORNING. CONFIDENCE IS ALSO LOW FOR WINDS THURSDAY AFTERNOON.
DIRECTIONS WILL LIKELY CONTINUE TURNING TO THE NORTHWEST
THURSDAY AFTERNOON AND THEN A LAKE BREEZE BOUNDARY IS EXPECTED
TO MOVE INLAND DURING THE MID/LATE AFTERNOON. TIMING CONFIDENCE
HAS DECREASED AND WILL NEED TO BE REFINED WITH LATER FORECASTS.
WINDS WILL TURN SOUTHEASTERLY THURSDAY EVENING.
PREVAILING MVFR CIGS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP OVERNIGHT,
CONTINUE THURSDAY MORNING THEN LIFT TO VFR THURSDAY AFTERNOON.
HOWEVER, LOW CIGS ARE POSSIBLE WITH THE LAKE BREEZE BOUNDARY. IN
ADDITION, THERE WILL LIKELY BE FOG OVER LAKE MICHIGAN AND SOME
OF THE MODEL GUIDANCE IS SPREADING THIS FOG INLAND THURSDAY
EVENING AND ACROSS THE CHICAGO TERMINALS EARLY FRIDAY MORNING.
CONFIDENCE IS TOO LOW TO INCLUDE ANY LOWER CIGS OR FOG FOR
ORD/MDW IN THEIR NEW 30 HOUR TAFS AND TRENDS WILL NEED TO BE
MONITORED. CMS
LOT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
IL...NONE.
IN...NONE.
LM...NONE.
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