287  
FXUS63 KLOT 010049 CCA  
AFDLOT  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHICAGO/ROMEOVILLE, IL  
616 PM CDT TUE JUN 30 2026  
   
KEY MESSAGES
 
 
- DANGEROUS HEAT WAVE CONTINUES INTO THURSDAY, WITH DAYTIMES  
HIGHS IN THE LOW TO MID 90S AND PEAK AFTERNOON HEAT INDICES OF  
100 TO 105 DEGREES (LOCALLY HIGHER).  
 
- WHILE NOT A COMPLETE WASH OUT, THUNDERSTORM CHANCES INCREASE  
LATE THURSDAY, WITH A COUPLE OF WAVES OF SHOWERS AND  
THUNDERSTORMS EXPECTED FRIDAY INTO THE 4TH OF JULY WEEKEND.  
SOME STORMS MAY BE SEVERE AND PRODUCE HEAVY RAINFALL.  
 

 
   
DISCUSSION
 
 
ISSUED AT 208 PM CDT TUE JUN 30 2026  
 
THE ONGOING HEAT AND HUMIDITY CONTINUES TO BE THE PRIMARY WEATHER  
STORY THROUGH THURSDAY.  
 
A PERSISTENT UPPER-LEVEL RIDGE, WITH H5 HEIGHTS IN EXCESS OF  
596 DAM, WILL REMAIN CENTERED ACROSS KENTUCKY AND TENNESSEE  
THROUGH WEDNESDAY, BEFORE GRADUALLY EXPANDING EASTWARD TOWARDS  
THE CENTRAL ATLANTIC COAST FOR THE SECOND HALF OF THE WEEK.  
STRONG CAPPING UNDER THIS RIDGE WILL CONTINUE CURTAIL THE THREAT  
FOR SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS LOCALLY THROUGH AT LEAST THURSDAY  
AFTERNOON/EVENING. ACCORDINGLY, UNABATED DIURNAL HEATING OF THE  
VERY MOIST LOW-LEVEL AIRMASS WILL PUSH AFTERNOON HIGH  
TEMPERATURES IN THE LOW TO MID 90S (HIGHEST IN THE URBAN AREAS  
AROUND CHICAGO) EACH AFTERNOON THROUGH AT LEAST THURSDAY. WHEN  
COMBINED WITH SURFACE DEWPOINTS IN THE LOW TO MID 70S, HEAT  
INDICES WILL AGAIN TOP OUT IN THE 100-105 DEGREE RANGE (LOCALLY  
IN EXCESS OF 105) BOTH WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY. MEANWHILE, EXPECT  
VERY WARM OVERNIGHT TEMPERATURES, WITH READINGS LIKELY  
STRUGGLING TO FALL OUT OF THE LOW 80S IN THE CITY TONIGHT AND  
AGAIN WEDNESDAY NIGHT. WHILE SUCH READINGS ARE NOT NECESSARILY  
UNCOMMON TO EXPERIENCE ON A DAY IN THE MIDDLE OF SUMMER IN OUR  
AREA, IT IS LESS COMMON TO EXPERIENCE SUCH CONDITIONS ON 4+  
STRAIGHT DAYS WITH LITTLE TO NO RELIEF. IT IS THUS THE  
CUMULATIVE EFFECTS OF THE HEAT THAT IS MOST CONCERNING WITH THIS  
HEAT, AND NOT NECESSARILY THE PEAK TEMPERATURES AND HEAT  
INDICES ON AN INDIVIDUAL DAY. THEREFORE, NO CHANGES ARE PLANNED  
TO GOING HEAT HEADLINES CURRENTLY IN EFFECT.  
 
WEDNESDAY, AND MUCH OF THURSDAY, WAVES OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS  
WILL CONTINUE TO BE FAVORED NORTHWEST OF OUR AREA (FROM THE  
PLAINS NORTHEASTWARD THROUGH THE UPPER MIDWEST) WITHIN A BELT OF  
ACTIVE WEST-SOUTHWESTERLY UPPER-LEVEL FLOW RESIDING ALONG THE  
WEST-NORTHWESTERN PERIPHERY OF THE UPPER-RIDGE. HOWEVER, AS THE  
UPPER RIDGE BEGINS TO EXPAND EASTWARD, IT WILL ALLOW THIS ACTIVE  
BELT OF WESTERLY UPPER-LEVEL FLOW TO SHIFT INTO OUR AREA LATE  
IN THE WEEK. ACCORDINGLY, WHILE OUR AREA WILL GET RELIEF FROM  
THE EXTREME HEAT THIS WEEKEND, IT WILL COME AT THE PRICE OF  
INCREASING CHANCES FOR SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. WHILE IT WILL  
NOT BE RAINING AND STORMING CONSTANTLY, IT APPEARS WE MAY END UP  
WITH A COUPLE OF WAVES OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS DURING THE  
HOLIDAY WEEKEND, MOST NOTABLY LATE FRIDAY AND ON SATURDAY. SOME  
OF THESE STORMS COULD BE SEVERE AND PRODUCE TORRENTIAL  
DOWNPOURS.  
 
KJB  
 

 
   
AVIATION /00Z TAFS THROUGH 06Z THURSDAY/
 
 
ISSUED AT 616 PM CDT TUE JUN 30 2026  
 
FORECAST CONCERN FOR THE TERMINALS...  
 
- BREEZY SOUTHWEST WINDS EARLY THIS EVENING THEN AGAIN WEDNESDAY  
AFTERNOON WITH GUSTS AROUND 25-30 KTS.  
 
A BROAD AREA OF HIGH PRESSURE CONTINUES TO RESIDE OVER THE EASTERN  
CONUS WHICH WILL ALLOW MOSTLY CLEAR VFR SKIES AND HOT CONDITIONS TO  
PREVAIL THROUGH THE TAF PERIOD. HOWEVER, THERE IS A NON-ZERO CHANCE  
(10-15%) FOR A FEW MVFR CLOUDS (BASES AROUND 2000-2500 FT) TO  
DEVELOP LATE TONIGHT INTO WEDNESDAY MORNING.  
GIVEN THE LOW CONFIDENCE ON THE COVERAGE AND DURATION OF THESE  
LOWER CLOUDS HAVE OPTED TO MAINTAIN THE SCT020 IN THE TAFS FOR  
NOW.  
 
OTHERWISE, THE MAIN FORECAST ITEM OF NOTE WILL BE THE BREEZY  
SOUTHWEST WINDS GUSTING AROUND 25-30 KTS EARLY THIS EVENING AND  
AGAIN WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON. WHILE GUSTS WILL EASE OVERNIGHT, SOME  
OCCASIONAL 15-17 KT GUSTS WILL BE POSSIBLE AT TIMES TONIGHT AND  
AGAIN WEDNESDAY NIGHT.  
 
YACK  
 

 
   
CLIMATE
 
 
ISSUED AT 1249 AM CDT TUE JUN 30 2026  
 
.DAILY RECORDS FOR THE UPCOMING WEEK........  
 
CHICAGO (KORD)  
RECORD HIGH RECORD WARM MINIMUM  
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 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...EXTREME HEAT WARNING UNTIL MIDNIGHT CDT THURSDAY NIGHT FOR  
ILZ003-ILZ004-ILZ005-ILZ006-ILZ008-ILZ010-ILZ011-ILZ012-  
ILZ013-ILZ019-ILZ020-ILZ021-ILZ023-ILZ032-ILZ033-ILZ039-  
ILZ103-ILZ104-ILZ105-ILZ106-ILZ107-ILZ108.  
 
IN...EXTREME HEAT WARNING UNTIL MIDNIGHT CDT /1 AM EDT/ THURSDAY  
NIGHT FOR INZ001-INZ002-INZ010-INZ011-INZ019.  
 
LM...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY UNTIL 9 PM CDT THIS EVENING FOR WINTHROP  
HARBOR IL TO GARY IN.  
 

 
 

 
 
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