Sunday afternoon weather update

A Tornado Watch has been issued for Carroll and Whiteside counties in NW Illinois until 7pm this evening.  An ongoing cluster of thunderstorms from early Sunday morning continues to track east through Iowa as of Noon.  The atmosphere has become unstable on the southern edge of the storm cluster near the Iowa/Missouri border which has lead to an increase in storm development.  This is also where the surface warm front is located and that front now extends into northern Illinois. 

Storms will continue east along the front and follow the greatest axis of instability which has nosed its way into NW Illinois.  I would anticipate this storm cluster to move east of the Mississippi River and into western Illinois within the next couple of hours.