A Look at the Coming Week

High pressure is stuck along the east coast because of Hurrcane Danielle blocking eastward movement out in the Atlantic. A plume of moisture is funneling along the backside of the high pressure ridge from the Gulf of Mexico up the Mississippi Valley northward across Illinois. Dewpoints have risen into the middle to upper 60's, and cumulus clouds have developed this afternoon around 4,000 feet. With only limited moisture so far near the surface, and lacking a good trigger, no showers or thunderstorms are expected tonight or early tomorrow. After temperatures reaching into the low 90's this afternoon, temperatures will drop back into the upper 60's tonight, and skies will be mostly clear again. With a good brisk southerly wind on Monday moisture levels will increase, and with a weak disturbance moving northward in the flow, there will be a slight chance of thunderstorms on Monday afternoon along with warm temperatures reaching the middle to upper 80's. Chances of thunderstorms will fade Monday evening with the loss of afternoon heating, and skies will be partly cloudy overnight.  It will be unseasonably warm and humid ovenight with a low temperature near 70 degrees.  Tuesday will be a dry, but a very warm and humid day as we wait for the next system to have and impact on the Stateline.  Afternoon high's will be in the upper 80's, and depending on the amount of sunshine, it is possible that 90 degrees will be reached again.  On Tuesday night the blocking high on the east coast will give some ground allowing a front stretching from northwestern Wisconsin through northwestern Iowa to western Kansas to make some headway`eastward reaching the northwestern tip of Illinois by 6 am Wednesday.  With deep moisture funneling northward into northern Illinois showers and thunderstorms will be likely on Tuesday night in advance of the front, Wednesday, as the front edges slowly through the area, and Wednesday night as it stalls out just to our south along Interstate 80 by daybreak on Thursday.  With the front stalled on Thursday there will be a good chance of more showers and thunderstorms, but they will come to an end on Thursday night as a secondary cold front catches the first front, and shoves it off to the east.  That front will move though early on Friday bringing the Stateline some refreshing clean, clear air from Canada dropping temperatures back into the 70's from Friday through next Sunday.
By Meteorologist
Eric Nefstead