Clusters of storms possible within oppressive humidity Sunday and Monday

 Oppressive heat and humidity will soon fuel thunderstorm chances Sunday and Monday. While both days will feature many dry hours, but the storms that develop will likely be strong to severe. Sunday will start with a weakening complex of storms from the West. This will arrive after 5AM and could produce gusty winds and heavy rain. Much of Sunday afternoon will be capped and dry, with higher coverage of storms arriving during the evening and into the night. Monday will depend heavily on what happens the day/night before, as leftover boundaries may develop storms around midday. By Monday evening, storms will be clearing out with higher pressure arriving.

Futurecast shows these scenarios playing out well but is still just one of many computer models that try to predict the future and should be taken with a grain of salt. Early-day round of storms will weaken upon arrival but still could pose a risk for gusty winds. Much of Sunday afternoon will then be capped and dry, but an isolated storm cannot be ruled out with extreme levels of energy in place for storms to utilize.

Better coverage of storms will arrive Sunday evening and Sunday night from the North. This looks to be the best chance for any severe weather locally with damaging wind gusts being the main threat. Storms should arrive after 9-10PM if not later Sunday night.

Storms will remain possible Monday, but the confidence on placement or timing is much, much lower. It depends heavily on the evolution of storms from the day before, so remain tuned for updates! Monday evening will begin the calmer stretch with higher pressure taking hold.

In addition to the storm potential, it will also be extremely hot and humid. Heat indices will likely push above 100 degrees much of the day Sunday and could reach 105-110 degrees in several locations. A Heat Advisory will go into effect for much of the area through Sunday evening, while an Extreme Heat Warning is the alert for Whiteside County with the higher confidence of 110°+ heat index. Additional alerts will almost certainly be needed Monday, but storms may give temporary reprieve from the humidity, placing less confidence in the heat index forecast for Monday.