Continued Hot & Humid, Storm Chances Arrive Late into Tonight

Continued Hot & Humid:

Welp, everything went according to plan yesterday as the region endured a day filled with excessive heat and oppressive humidity. In fact, Tuesday's high of 98° not only tied the record high for set in 1987, but it also now stands as the warmest day of the year. Unfortunately, not much if any relief is slated to arrive for our Wednesday as another hot and humid day lies ahead. 

Heat Alerts Continue:

Similar to yesterday, Stephenson, Jo-Daviess, Carroll, Whiteside, Ogle, Lee, and Dekalb counties remain under an EXCESSIVE HEAT WARNING, leaving the rest of the region under a HEAT ADVISORY. Both of which continue until 8PM this evening. With bright sunshine and gusty southwesterly winds on tap for the Stateline, high temperatures look to peak in the low to mid 90s. 

Currently, our forecast high is 95°. If that were to verify, that would tie today's record high set back in 1994. Heat index values won't be as extreme as they were on Tuesday, but still will have the opportunity to eclipse the triple-digit mark. Again, if you plan to be out during the afternoon and evening hours, remember to implement heat safety. You can beat the excessive heat by wearing light colored clothing, taking frequent breaks in the shade, and of course remaining hydrated.

Early-Night Storms:

Our attention then turns to a cold front in which will bring the opportunity for a round of late-day showers and thunderstorms. Some of which could be on the strong to severe side as they enter the Stateline. For that, the Storm Prediction Center has left a good chunk of the region under a Slight Risk (level 2 of 5) for severe weather. 

Areas to our north and west have been placed under an enhanced risk (level 3 of 5) simply due to the fact that storms will be occurring earlier in the day during peak heating hours. Storms look to swing into the region around or shortly after sunset, with chances lingering past the midnight hour. All severe modes will be on the table, with damaging winds and large hail being the primary concerns. Conditions dry out for Thursday, with the sun shinning from start to finish. Despite the frontal passage, winds look to remain out of the west-southwest, allowing highs to reach the 90-degree mark. It's not until Friday that the relief arrives, dropping highs into the lower 80s.