914  
ACUS11 KWNS 311945  
SWOMCD  
SPC MCD 311944  
INZ000-ILZ000-MOZ000-312215-  
 
MESOSCALE DISCUSSION 0309  
NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK  
0244 PM CDT TUE MAR 31 2026  
 
AREAS AFFECTED...PARTS OF NORTHERN AND CENTRAL ILLINOIS...NORTHERN  
INDIANA  
 
CONCERNING...SEVERE POTENTIAL...WATCH POSSIBLE  
 
VALID 311944Z - 312215Z  
 
PROBABILITY OF WATCH ISSUANCE...40 PERCENT  
 
SUMMARY...ISOLATED TO WIDELY SCATTERED STRONG THUNDERSTORM  
DEVELOPMENT, INCLUDING A COUPLE SUPERCELLS, APPEARS POSSIBLE LATE  
THIS AFTERNOON. IT REMAINS UNCLEAR IF A NEW SEVERE WEATHER WATCH  
WILL BE NEEDED, BUT TRENDS ARE BEING MONITORED FOR THIS POSSIBILITY.  
 
DISCUSSION...IN THE WAKE OF EARLY DAY CONVECTION, SUBSTANTIVE  
PRE-COLD FRONTAL BOUNDARY-LAYER DESTABILIZATION APPEARS ONGOING IN A  
CORRIDOR ACROSS NORTHERN/CENTRAL ILLINOIS THROUGH NORTHERN INDIANA.  
THIS IS OCCURRING BENEATH 40-50 KT WESTERLY FLOW AROUND 500 MB, NEAR  
THE SOUTHERN FRINGE OF THE STRONGER WESTERLIES, BUT IN THE WAKE OF  
ONE LOW-AMPLITUDE SHORT WAVE MIGRATING TOWARD THE LOWER GREAT LAKES  
AND GENERALLY WELL SOUTH OF BROAD MID-LEVEL TROUGHING OVERSPREADING  
THE UPPER MIDWEST AND ADJACENT UPPER GREAT LAKES REGION. MODELS  
INDICATE AT LEAST SUBTLY BUILDING MID-LEVEL HEIGHTS ACROSS THE  
REGION INTO THIS EVENING.  
 
HOWEVER, LOW-LEVEL WARM ADVECTION MAY BE CONTRIBUTING TO ONGOING  
RENEWED THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT SOUTHEAST OF DAVENPORT IA TOWARD  
SOUTHERN PORTIONS OF THE GREATER CHICAGO AREA. AND, AT LEAST SOME  
CONVECTION ALLOWING GUIDANCE SUGGESTS THAT A SUBTLE LINGER MID-LEVEL  
PERTURBATION, NOW PROGRESSING WEST-NORTHWEST THROUGH NORTH OF THE  
GREATER ST. LOUIS AREA, MAY SUPPORT ADDITIONAL STORM DEVELOPMENT  
DURING THE NEXT FEW HOURS.  
 
WHILE IT REMAINS UNCLEAR HOW WIDESPREAD OR ORGANIZED CONVECTION MAY  
BECOME, THE ENVIRONMENT APPEARS AT LEAST CONDITIONALLY SUPPORTIVE OF  
SUPERCELLS WITH POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE LARGE HAIL, LOCALLY DAMAGING  
WIND GUSTS, AND PERHAPS A BRIEF TORNADO.  
 
..KERR/HART.. 03/31/2026  
   
..PLEASE SEE WWW.SPC.NOAA.GOV FOR GRAPHIC PRODUCT  
 
ATTN...WFO...IWX...IND...LOT...ILX...LSX...DVN...  
 
LAT...LON 40249098 41189006 41518512 40618530 39258855 38889022  
40249098  
 
MOST PROBABLE PEAK TORNADO INTENSITY...UP TO 95 MPH  
MOST PROBABLE PEAK WIND GUST...55-70 MPH  
MOST PROBABLE PEAK HAIL SIZE...1.50-2.50 IN  
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