Widespread Rainfall Expected Monday

The sun-filled skies from the weekend will soon fill with cloud cover Sunday night as an area of low pressure moves in from the southwest. Skies will remain mostly clear and dry for much of Sunday evening, but cloud cover will begin to thicken as moisture is pulled in from the southwest. This increase in cloud cover and moisture is coming on the heels of a very strong wind field aloft that will continue the strong to gusty winds through much of the day Monday.

The amount of moisture present in the atmosphere will also increase, and is already taking place to the west across the Plains as rain showers are lifting northeast across parts of Oklahoma and Kansas. This increase in moisture will lead to widespread rainfall during the day Monday, lasting through much of Monday evening.

Clouds will increase after midnight Sunday with scattered rain showers developing to the southwest between midnight and 4am, lifting into northern Illinois before sunrise Monday. Strong winds roughly 3,000-5,000ft above the surface will continue to transport moisture and a warm air mass northward which could lead to a rumble of thunder, or two, early Monday morning. As strong southwest winds continue throughout the day widespread, and at times heavy, rain will continue into the afternoon and evening. While a rumble of thunder remains possible during the day, extensive cloud cover will limit any potential for stronger storms across northern Illinois, with a better chance remaining across central Illinois and Missouri.

Most of the rain will be wrapping up a little before midnight Monday with totals ranging from half an inch, up to potentially an inch, in a few locations. Flooding is not too much of a risk at the moment, but standing and ponding water is definitely possible with some of the heavier rainfall. This will be the most amount of rain the Stateline has had since the middle to end of January.