540
FXUS63 KILX 082333
AFDILX

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Lincoln IL
633 PM CDT Fri May 8 2026

.KEY MESSAGES...

- Rain chances will gradually settle southward into the evening.
  There is a greater than 80% chance of seeing a half inch of
  rain in areas south of I-70, though totals over an inch would
  not be out of the question.

- While there will be a brief warmup on Saturday (highs reaching
  75-80 degrees), a more substantial warming trend will hold off
  until mid to late next week.

&&

.DISCUSSION...
Issued at 143 PM CDT Fri May 8 2026

Latest water vapor imagery shows a series of shortwaves
extending from western Ontario into Kansas. Showers have been
tracking eastward across the forecast area the last few hours.
With time, this area of rain will settle south through this
evening, as the waves move across Wisconsin and Illinois. By
midnight, the rain should be limited to areas south of I-70, but
exiting before sunrise. HREF guidance has a >80% chance of at
least a half inch of rain near/south of I-70 through tonight,
though the LPMM suggests potential for over an inch just south
of I-70.

The next wave is scheduled to drop into the area by early
Saturday evening. The bulk of the precipitation with this
feature should be post-frontal, though some of the high-res
models are suggesting a few showers may sneak into the far
northern CWA late afternoon. Ahead of the front, temperatures
should be able to reach close to 80 degrees across west central
Illinois, but with more troughing settling into the Great Lakes,
high temperatures return to the 60s to start the new week.

As we go further into next week, the persistent upper ridge
over the western U.S. will gradually edge its way eastward. As
this occurs, additional shortwaves will drop southeast along the
periphery, with additional rain chances Tuesday/Tuesday night
and again toward Thursday night or early Friday. However, the
international models are showing signs of developing a blocking
pattern late week, with low pressure loitering off the mid-
Atlantic states. A gradual warming trend is expected with the
ridge, and the blocking pattern would result in warm weather
from late next week and persisting into the following week.

&&

.AVIATION /00Z TAFS THROUGH 00Z SUNDAY/...
Issued at 633 PM CDT Fri May 8 2026

An corridor of light rain that extended through the I-72
terminals in recent hours will gradually settle southward this
evening, yielding VFR conditions after some areas of MVFR vsby
around 00Z. Overnight, this area will continue to move
southeastward, while skies gradually clear overnight in central
IL. However, late in the night some vsby reduction may occur in
fog due to recent rainfall, however continued light winds are
expected to keep most vsbys MVFR category or better. Rain is
expected to hold off until after 00Z with the next approaching
disturbance. Winds SW 6012 kts overnight, becoming W 12-16 kts
with gusts 20-25 kts by 18Z.

&&

.ILX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
None.

&&

$$

KEY MESSAGES...Geelhart
DISCUSSION...Geelhart
AVIATION...37