345  
FXUS63 KLOT 281756  
AFDLOT  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHICAGO/ROMEOVILLE, IL  
1256 PM CDT SUN JUN 28 2026  
   
KEY MESSAGES  
 
- A DECAYING CLUSTER OF THUNDERSTORMS MAY AFFECT PORTIONS OF  
NORTHERN ILLINOIS THIS AFTERNOON.  
 
- DANGEROUS HEAT IS EXPECTED ACROSS THE AREA THIS WEEK.  
 
- AFTERNOON HEAT INDEX VALUES FORECASTED OVER 100 DEGREES EACH  
DAY NEXT WEEK, WITH LITTLE TO NO RELIEF AT THE LAKESHORE AND  
AT NIGHT.  
 
 
   
UPDATE  
 
ISSUED AT 947 AM CDT SUN JUN 28 2026  
 
ATTENTION IS BEING PAID TO THE MESOSCALE CONVECTIVE COMPLEX IN  
NORTH CENTRAL IOWA AT THE MOMENT. THE CORE OF THE EMBEDDED MCV  
LOOKS TO HAVE A DUE EAST MOVEMENT TO IT, AND YET THE TRAILING  
SOUTHERN CLUSTER OF STORMS HAS A RECENT SOUTHEASTWARD DRIFT TO  
IT. WHEN ANALYZING CURRENT SURFACE OBSERVATIONS, IT APPEARS THE  
WARM FRONT IS DRAPED JUST SOUTH OF THE COMPLEX IN SOUTHERN IOWA  
AND STRETCHES SOUTH INTO NORTHEAST MISSOURI AND ACROSS CENTRAL  
ILLINOIS, JUST SOUTH OF THE FORECAST AREA. THE SPC MESOANALYSIS  
HAS BROAD INSTABILITY AXIS STRETCHING SOUTHEASTWARD FROM OSAGE,  
IOWA TO BLOOMINGTON, ILLINOIS. AS THE COMPLEX MOVES EASTWARD,  
THE ESTIMATED TIME ARRIVING AT THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER WOULD BE  
AROUND NOON, WHICH WOULD PLACE THE INSTABILITY GRADIENT ALONG A  
DUBUQUE, IA TO PAXTON, IL LINE, WHICH WOULD BECOME THE FAVORED  
LANE THAT THE CLUSTER OF STORMS WOULD WANT TO TRAVEL ON. GIVEN  
THE STEEP LAPSE RATES AND STRONG SHEAR AVAILABLE IN THE  
ENVIRONMENT, IT IS POSSIBLE THAT ISOLATED STRONGER EMBEDDED  
STORMS COULD PRODUCE LOCALIZED DAMAGING WIND OR HAIL UP TO THE  
SIZE OF A QUARTER. GUIDANCE CONTINUES TO SUGGEST THAT THIS  
COMPLEX SHOULD BE IN A DECAYING STATE AS IT ENTERS, BUT EVEN  
JUST THREE HOURS OUT, THERE IS UNCERTAINTY ON THE EXACT TRACK IT  
TAKES AND WHETHER OR NOT IT CAN MAINTAIN ITS STRENGTH. THE BEST  
CHANCES REMAIN IN THE NORTHWESTERN PORTION OF THE CWA, SO POPS  
HAVE BEEN BOOSTED A BIT IN THAT AREA. LASTLY, THERE IS THE  
POTENTIAL FOR ANOTHER WAKE LOW TO DEVELOP BEHIND THE SYSTEM.  
GIVEN THE EXPECTED DECAYING NATURE OF THE SYSTEM, IT MIGHT NOT  
BE AS STRONG OF A WAKE LOW AS PREVIOUSLY OCCURRED EARLIER THIS  
YEAR, THERE IS THE POTENTIAL FOR SOUTHEAST WIND GUSTS TO 40 MPH  
LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND THIS EVENING.  
 
DK  
 
 
   
DISCUSSION  
 
ISSUED AT 252 AM CDT SUN JUN 28 2026  
 
A WEAK 925-850 HPA WARM FRONT STRETCHING WNW TO ESE FROM AROUND  
LEE COUNTY TO JUST SOUTH OF THE KANKAKEE RIVER VALLEY IN  
NORTHWEST INDIANA CONTINUES TO PROVIDE A FOCUS FOR SPOTTY LIGHT  
SHOWERS EARLY THIS MORNING. MEANWHILE, A DEVELOPING SURFACE  
THETA-E GRADIENT ASSOCIATED WITH NOTABLY HIGHER MOISTURE JUST  
SOUTHWEST OF THE CWA WILL LIFT NORTHWARD THROUGH THE DAY. WEAK  
LOW-LEVEL ISENTROPIC ASCENT ASSOCIATED WITH THESE FEATURES  
SHOULD ALLOW FOR AN AXIS OF INCREASED CLOUD COVER AND PERHAPS A  
FEW LIGHT SHOWERS/SPRINKLES LATE THIS MORNING INTO THIS  
AFTERNOON.  
 
SEVERE CONVECTION TRACKING ALONG AND NORTH OF THE SD/NE LINE  
EARLY THIS MORNING WILL REMAIN THE PRIMARY FOCUS FOR THE  
FORECAST AREA THIS AFTERNOON. THIS CLUSTER OF CONVECTION HAS  
REMAINED FAIRLY STRONG THROUGH MUCH OF THE NIGHT, WITH AN  
ASSOCIATED MCV NOW EVIDENT. RENEWED CONVECTIVE CELLS OVER  
NORTHEAST NEBRASKA AHEAD OF THIS COMPLEX INDICATE THAT THE  
ENVIRONMENT IS NOT ENTIRELY CAPPED FARTHER SOUTH. THE CONVECTION  
WILL BEGIN TO ENCOUNTER SUBSTANTIAL LOW TO MID-LEVEL WARMING  
WITH AN INCOMING EML LIFTING NORTHEAST ACROSS THE MISSISSIPPI  
RIVER VALLEY LATE THIS MORNING INTO THE AFTERNOON. HOWEVER, THE  
COMBINATION OF STEEPENING MID-LEVEL LAPSE RATES, LOW-LEVEL  
MOISTURE ADVECTION, AND LOCAL WEAKENING OF CAPPING NEAR ANY  
MATURE MCV DOES WARRANT SOME CONCERN FOR CONVECTION TO PERSIST  
ACROSS THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER AND INTO THE CWA. WITH MODESTLY  
STRONG MID-LEVEL FLOW ACROSS SOUTHERN WISCONSIN AND A STRONG  
INSTABILITY GRADIENT BIFURCATING THE CWA, THERE IS A SWEET SPOT  
WHERE CONVECTION, POSSIBLY SEVERE, COULD EVENT REMAIN WELL  
FORMED AND TRACK WELL INTO (OR EVEN ACROSS) THE CWA. HAVE  
INTRODUCED CHANCE POPS FOR SHOWERS AND STORMS WEST OF THE  
CHICAGO METRO, AND SLIGHT CHANCE POPS ELSEWHERE, FOR THE  
AFTERNOON. ADDITIONALLY, SOME CAMS INDICATE THAT ANY DECAYING  
MCV COULD PRODUCE A WAKE LOW AND RESULTANT STRONGER SOUTHEAST  
WINDS OVER PORTIONS OF THE AREA THIS AFTERNOON.  
 
REGARDLESS OF POTENTIAL CONVECTION, HEAT AND HUMIDITY WILL  
BEGIN TO BUILD TODAY WITH HEAT INDEX VALUES RISING TO AROUND 90  
INLAND DURING THE AFTERNOON AND PERSISTENT ONSHORE FLOW  
MAINTAINING COOLER CONDITIONS ALONG THE SHORE.  
 
THE WELL-ADVERTISED PERIOD OF HEAT THIS WEEK REMAINS ON TRACK,  
PARTICULARLY MONDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. AN ANOMALOUSLY STRONG  
MID-LEVEL RIDGE (HEIGHTS VERY NEAR 600DAM) DRIFTING ALONG THE  
OHIO RIVER VALLEY AND H850/H700 TEMPS OF OVER 25C/12C MONDAY  
THROUGH WEDNESDAY WILL YIELD UNSEASONABLY WARM CONDITIONS WITH  
DAYTIME HIGHS WELL INTO THE 90S WHILE BUILDING AN INCREDIBLY  
STRONG CAP OVER THE LOCAL AREA. COMBINED WITH PERSISTENT  
SOUTHWEST LOW-LEVEL FLOW, THERE LOOKS TO BE NO RELIEF FROM LAKE  
BREEZES OR UPSTREAM CONVECTIVE OUTFLOW BOUNDARIES DURING THIS  
TIME. THOUGH CAPPING WILL BE QUITE STRONG FOR MONDAY AND TUESDAY  
(AND POSSIBLY INTO WEDNESDAY), PERSISTENT STRONG SOUTHWESTERLY  
GRADIENT FLOW WILL LIKELY ALLOW FOR MODEST MIXING INTO  
INCREDIBLY DRY AIR ACROSS THE BASE OF THE EML. THOUGH THIS MAY  
LOWER DEW POINTS BY JUST A COUPLE DEGREES (E.G. MID 70S VS UPPER  
70S), THE DIFFERENCE MAY BE ENOUGH TO KEEP HEAT INDEX VALUES IN  
CHECK.  
 
HAVE MAINTAINED THE EXTREME HEAT WATCH FOR COOK COUNTY FROM  
MONDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY, AND ISSUED A HEAT ADVISORY FOR THE  
REMAINDER OF THE FORECAST AREA FOR THE SAME PERIOD. EXPECTATIONS  
ARE THAT COOK COUNTY WILL NEED TO BE UPGRADED TO AN EXTREME  
HEAT WARNING (CRITERIA OF HEAT INDEX VALUES OF 100 OR HIGHER FOR  
THREE DAYS). OUTSIDE OF COOK COUNTY, THIS LOOKS LIKE A SOLID  
LONG DURATION ADVISORY EVENT WITH AFTERNOON HEAT INDEX VALUES  
HOVERING AROUND 105 DEGREES (HEAT ADVISORY CRITERIA). A CASE CAN  
BE MADE THAT THE LONGEVITY OF THE HEAT MAY REQUIRE AN EVENTUAL  
UPGRADE TO AN EXTREME HEAT WARNING FOR AREAS OUTSIDE OF COOK  
COUNTY IF CONVECTION REMAINS NORTH OF THE AREA ON THURSDAY AND  
FRIDAY.  
 
REGARDING THE POTENTIAL FOR CONVECTION THIS WEEK, THE STRONG  
CAP EARLY IN THE WEEK SHOULD DEFLECT CONVECTION WELL TO THE  
NORTHWEST (MINNESOTA THROUGH UPPER MICHIGAN) THROUGH AT LEAST  
WEDNESDAY. AN EXPECTED FLATTENING OF THE RIDGE AND EVENTUAL SW  
TO NE ORIENTATION OF THE RIDGE AXIS TOWARD THE WESTERN GREAT  
LAKES WOULD FAVOR INCREASING CHANCES FOR CONVECTIVE EPISODES TO  
AFFECT SOME OR ALL OF THE FORECAST AREA AS EARLY AS WEDNESDAY  
NIGHT. AND WITH GUIDANCE OFTEN TOO SLOW WITH BREAKING DOWN THE  
PERIPHERY OF SUMMERTIME RIDGES IN THE GREAT LAKES, DIRECT OR  
INDIRECT (OUTFLOW) IMPACTS FROM CONVECTION LOWERS CONFIDENCE ON  
HEADLINES BEYOND WEDNESDAY. THE OVERALL MESSAGE IS FOR HEAT TO  
POTENTIALLY PERSIST INTO THE INDEPENDENCE DAY HOLIDAY, BUT FOR  
INCREASING CHANCE FOR CONVECTION WITH EACH DAY.  
 
KLUBER  
 
 
   
AVIATION /18Z TAFS THROUGH 00Z TUESDAY/  
 
ISSUED AT 1256 PM CDT SUN JUN 28 2026  
 
KEY MESSAGES FOR THE 18Z TAF PERIOD:  
 
* A DECAYING SYSTEM OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS MOVING ACROSS  
NORTHERN IL THIS AFTERNOON. GREATEST THUNDER CHANCES AT RFD.  
 
* A PERIOD OF GUSTY SE WINDS EXPECTED BEHIND THE SHOWERS LATE  
THIS AFTERNOON.  
 
* MVFR CIGS INTO THIS AFTERNOON, POSSIBLY STAYING JUST OUTSIDE  
OF ORD. LOW CONFIDENCE ON RETURN TO VFR.  
 
A DECAYING SYSTEM OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS IS WORKING INTO  
FAR NORTHWEST IL EARLY THIS AFTERNOON. IT WILL CONTINUE WEAKEN  
ON ITS WAY INTO CHICAGOLAND, BUT COULD BRING SOME SCATTERED  
SHOWERS FOR THE MID-LATE AFTERNOON PERIOD. EMBEDDED  
THUNDERSTORMS ARE MORE LIKELY OVER RFD, BUT A STORM CANNOT BE  
RULED OUT INTO CHICAGOLAND. A BRIEF PERIOD OF GUSTY SE WINDS CAN  
BE EXPECTED BEHIND THESE SHOWERS AS A RESULT OF A WAKE LOW.  
 
MVFR CIGS OVER THE TERMINALS HAVE MANAGED TO STAY JUST OUTSIDE  
OF ORD SO FAR AND APPEAR TO BE LIFTING TOWARD AND ABOVE 3KFT AS  
OF LATE. MVFR MAY PERSIST AS LATE AS MID-AFTERNOON, ALTHOUGH  
EXACT TIMING ON A RETURN TO VFR IS UNCERTAIN.  
 
MEANWHILE, ESE WINDS WILL PERIODICALLY GUST TO AROUND 20 KT  
THIS AFTERNOON OUTSIDE OF THE SHOWERS. THEY'LL STAY UP NEAR 10  
KT OVERNIGHT AND VEER TO SSW BY EARLY MONDAY BEFORE INCREASING  
TO OVER 20 KT FOR THE LATE MORNING AND AFTERNOON.  
 
DOOM  
 
 
   
CLIMATE  
 
ISSUED AT 252 AM CDT SUN JUN 28 2026  
 
.DAILY RECORDS FOR THE UPCOMING WEEK........  
 
CHICAGO (KORD)  
RECORD HIGH RECORD WARM MINIMUM  
JUNE 29 97 (1954) 80 (1931)  
JUNE 30 99 (1953) 80 (2018)  
JULY 1 103 (1956) 78 (1931)  
JULY 2 99 (1970) 79 (1911)  
JULY 3 102 (1949) 78 (1911)  
JULY 4 102 (2012) 80 (1921)  
 
ROCKFORD (KRFD)  
RECORD HIGH RECORD WARM MINIMUM  
JUNE 29 103 (1931) 75 (1931)  
JUNE 30 102 (1931) 76 (2018)  
JULY 1 101 (1931) 76 (1970)  
JULY 2 99 (1910) 74 (1970)  
JULY 3 99 (1925) 75 (2012)  
JULY 4 102 (2012) 77 (1977)  
 
NWS CHICAGO  
 
 
   
LOT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES  
 
IL...HEAT ADVISORY FROM NOON MONDAY TO 10 PM CDT WEDNESDAY FOR  
ILZ003-ILZ004-ILZ005-ILZ006-ILZ008-ILZ010-ILZ011-ILZ012-  
ILZ013-ILZ019-ILZ020-ILZ021-ILZ023-ILZ032-ILZ033-ILZ039-  
ILZ106-ILZ107-ILZ108.  
 
EXTREME HEAT WARNING FROM NOON MONDAY TO 10 PM CDT WEDNESDAY  
FOR ILZ103-ILZ104-ILZ105.  
 
IN...HEAT ADVISORY FROM NOON CDT /1 PM EDT/ MONDAY TO 10 PM CDT /11  
PM EDT/ WEDNESDAY FOR INZ001-INZ002-INZ010-INZ011-INZ019.  
 
LM...NONE.  
 
 
 
 
 
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