A Fire Weather Watch has been issued for a portion of northern Illinois Friday beginning at 10am and lasting until 7pm as a dry air mass, combined with strong southerly winds, will create an elevated fire risk across northern Illinois. This will be especially true in areas that didn't receive much rain from Thursday's storm. With relative humidity values as low as 20 percent, any fire that would start would quickly grow out of control.
A dryline, which prompted the isolated storms Thursday, has helped usher in a much drier air mass where dew points have fallen into the 40s. This dry air will remain in place throughout the night and into Friday afternoon.
Blowing dust may also become a concern as southerly winds increase, at times gusting to 40 mph. Dry soils and recently tilled/plowed fields will create favorable conditions for dust to be picked up and blown around, very similar to what some experienced from the gusty thunderstorm winds Thursday.
Please do not burn anything Friday as any fire could quickly grow out of control. Afternoon temperatures will warm into the mid-80s. A cold front moving in Friday evening will help produce a few isolated thunderstorms, but the severe risk with these appears to remain low.
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