Severe potential across northern Illinois ramps up next week

Rain Tapering Off:

The heaviest rain from last night has moved out, but many are waking up to a wet start. Rainfall totals are in the .25" to 1" range, leaving roads damp ahead of the morning drive. A few lingering showers remain possible into the mid-morning hours.   

  

High pressure will quickly slide in behind the system, allowing skies to clear for the afternoon. While there will be a great deal of sun, temperatures will end up cooler than the past few days, with afternoon highs topping out in the upper 50s. The reason being, we'll see winds out of the northwest today. Skies overnight will end up staying clear of any trouble, allowing low temperatures to fall into the upper 30s. 

 

Weekend Outlook: 

As we head into the weekend, we'll continue to see rain chances pop up. Warmer air sweeping across the Midwest will help spark a few showers and storms Saturday morning, with some of that activity possibly drifting into the area later in the day. Thunderstorm chances will be a little bit higher Sunday. However, the lack of lift in the atmosphere may severely limit the potential for strong to severe storms. 

Next Week:

Tuesday and Wednesday continue to stand out as the days with the greatest severe potential locally. The Storm Prediction Center currently has the entire region under a 15% risk on Tuesday, with areas south of the Illinois-Wisconsin border under a 15% risk on Wednesday. A 15% risk is equivalent to a level 2 of 5 Slight Risk for severe weather. 

Now, there is still a lot to dive into when it comes to the timing of each individual wave. That has yet to be determined. But what we do know is that the main ingredients for active weather, including severe weather, will be very much present. Two of the primary severe ingredients include strong jet stream winds and instability, or storm energy. Both of those primary ingredients will be present early next week, all hazards to be on the table. Stay tuned for the latest and remain weather aware next week!