984  
FXUS63 KLOT 221718  
AFDLOT  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHICAGO/ROMEOVILLE, IL  
1218 PM CDT WED JUL 22 2026  
   
KEY MESSAGES  
 
- THE NEXT FEW DAYS WILL BE OFFER SEASONABLY COOL TEMPERATURES,  
COMFORTABLE HUMIDITY VALUES, AND NO THREAT OF RAIN.  
 
- CONDITIONS WILL REMAIN HAZARDOUS AT ALL SOUTHERN LAKE MICHIGAN  
BEACHES THROUGH THURSDAY MORNING.  
 
- HEAT, HUMIDITY, AND CHANCES FOR STORMS WILL RETURN EARLY NEXT  
WEEK.  
 
 
   
DISCUSSION  
 
ISSUED AT 142 AM CDT WED JUL 22 2026  
 
IT SURE LOOKS AND FEELS MORE LIKE FALL THAN THE MIDDLE OF JULY  
EARLY THIS MORNING WITH DEEP UPPER-LEVEL CYCLONIC FLOW ANCHORED  
BY SEASONABLY COOL TEMPERATURES AND POCKETS OF LAKE-INDUCED  
STRATOCUMULUS CLOUDS! THE CHANGE IN REGIME IS EXEMPLIFIED BY A  
DROP IN 800MB TEMPERATURES OF ABOUT 12C/24 HOURS PER THE LAST  
TWO 00Z RAOBS AT GRB, A RANGE FROM ROUGHLY THE 90TH TO 10TH  
PERCENTILES. THE STAGE IS THUS SET FOR A BEAUTIFUL STRETCH OF  
DAYS WITH SEASONABLY COOL TEMPERATURES, LOW HUMIDITY VALUES, AND  
NO THREAT FOR RAIN. HIGHS TODAY WILL TOP OFF IN THE LOW TO MID  
70S AND INCREASE BY A FEW DEGREES EACH DAY THROUGH THE END OF  
THE WEEK. OVERNIGHT LOWS WILL BE COMFORTABLE AND START IN THE  
LOWER 50S TONIGHT RISING TO THE LOWER 60S BY FRIDAY NIGHT. THE  
ONLY FLY IN THE OINTMENT IN AN OTHERWISE PLEASANT PERIOD IS  
HAZARDOUS WAVES ALONG ALL SOUTHERN LAKE MICHIGAN BEACHES TODAY  
THROUGH THURSDAY MORNING.  
 
THE REPRIEVE FROM THE HEAT WILL BE SHORT-LIVED AS UPPER-LEVEL  
RIDGING REDEVELOPS ACROSS THE CENTRAL UNITED STATES THIS  
WEEKEND. HIGHS WILL CLIMB BACK INTO THE UPPER 80S TO LOWER 90S  
AS EARLY AS SUNDAY AND CONTINUE THROUGH NEXT WEEK. HUMIDITY  
LEVELS ARE ALSO POISED TO RISE WITH AGRICULTURAL  
EVAPOTRANSPIRATION LIKELY AUGMENTING NEAR-SURFACE DEW POINTS  
INTO THE MID 70S. THE NEXT OPPORTUNITY FOR STORMS WILL ARRIVE IN  
THE SUNDAY/MONDAY (JULY 26/27) TIMEFRAME ALONG THE PRECARIOUS  
NORTHEASTERN SIDE OF THE BUILDING UPPER-LEVEL RIDGE. THE EPS IN  
PARTICULAR IS BULLISH WITH 51-MEMBER MEAN MUCAPE ALREADY  
EXCEEDING 2000 J/KG AND OVER 50% OF MEMBERS WITH A PWAT  
EXCEEDING 2 INCHES. THIS WILL BE A PERIOD TO WATCH FOR SEVERE  
WEATHER IN THE GENERAL UPPER MISSISSIPPI RIVER VALLEY/GREAT  
LAKES REGION.  
 
BORCHARDT  
 
 
   
AVIATION /18Z TAFS THROUGH 00Z FRIDAY/  
 
ISSUED AT 1218 PM CDT WED JUL 22 2026  
 
NO MAJOR FORECAST CONCERNS FOR THE TERMINALS AS HIGH PRESSURE  
REMAINS OVERHEAD. NORTH-NORTHEAST WINDS WILL PREVAIL THIS  
AFTERNOON WITH SPEEDS GENERALLY IN THE 10-12 KT RANGE, BUT SOME  
OCCASIONAL 15-20 KT GUSTS ARE POSSIBLE ESPECIALLY NEAR THE LAKE.  
WINDS WILL BECOME LIGHT AND VARIABLE OVERNIGHT AS THE CENTER OF  
THE HIGH PASSES THROUGH BEFORE DIRECTIONS SETTLE BACK INTO A  
WEST-SOUTHWEST DIRECTION THURSDAY MORNING. THE EXCEPTION  
HOWEVER, WILL BE AT THE CHICAGO TERMINALS AND GYY WHERE A WEAK  
LAKE BREEZE LOOKS TO RESULT IN A EAST-NORTHEAST WINDS THURSDAY  
AFTERNOON. OTHERWISE, EXPECT SCT TO BKN VFR SKIES (CEILINGS  
AROUND 5000-6000 FT) THROUGH THE TAF PERIOD.  
 
YACK  
 
 
   
LOT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES  
 
IL...BEACH HAZARDS STATEMENT UNTIL 10 PM CDT THIS EVENING FOR  
ILZ006-ILZ103-ILZ104.  
 
IN...BEACH HAZARDS STATEMENT THROUGH THURSDAY MORNING FOR INZ001-  
INZ002.  
 
LM...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY UNTIL 10 PM CDT THIS EVENING FOR THE IL  
NEARSHORE WATERS.  
 
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY UNTIL 4 AM CDT THURSDAY FOR THE IN  
NEARSHORE WATERS.  
 
 
 
 
 
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