textproduct: Central Illinois

KEY MESSAGES

- Strong westerly winds are occuring today, with gusts of 40-50 mph being common. This may lead to travel difficulties on north- south oriented roadways.

- Below normal temperatures are expected today through Friday, with highs in the mid 30s to low 40s. Breezy winds will make it feel even cooler today and Thursday. Wind chills on Thanksgiving morning will range in the teens across the forecast area.

- There is a 60-80% chance of 2" of snow north of I-72 this weekend (20-50% to the south). Those with travel plans are urged to monitor forecast updates, and begin preparing for travel impacts, particularly across the northern half of Illinois on Saturday.

- Highs early next week appear to be in the low 20s to low 30s, with lows potentially in the single digits to upper teens. Wind chills have a 20-30% chance of being below 0 degrees Monday morning, north of a Macomb to Kankakee line.

DISCUSSION

Issued at 225 AM CST Wed Nov 26 2025

The front has cleared central and southeastern IL overnight. The colder temperatures and strong winds have arrived. A wind advisory is in effect this morning to 00z Thursday for all of central and southeastern IL. Today is a high travel day ahead of the holiday tomorrow. The greatest impact of the winds will be felt on north- south oriented roadways like I-55, I-57, and I-39. Widespread 40-50 mph wind gusts out of the west-northwest are expected to continue through the day today as the low passes off to our north. Then weakening as the sun sets to wind gusts around 20-25 mph overnight. High pressure is going to set up over the plains Thursday and Friday ahead of the next impactful system this weekend.

Highs today through Saturday will be in the upper 30s to low 40s. Lows each morning from Thursday to Saturday are in the upper teens to mid 20s. Wind chills on Thanksgiving morning will range in the teens across the forecast area.

A winter storm is on the horizon for this weekend. An upper trough will eject out over the Plains Saturday morning, which will drive the low pressure system up through the Midwest Saturday. Ahead of the system, moisture transport will increase from the Gulf, feeding the precipitation overnight Friday and all day Saturday. WAA will also play a role in bumping up temperatures to near or just above freezing during the day Saturday. This will impact where the transition line will be in Illinois and when, which is the biggest uncertainty at this time. The GFS and Euro agree on when the system will enter the western part of the CWA and when it should be finished. The 00z.26 runs of these models are showing the system entering between 06-12z Saturday and exiting around 12z Sunday.

P-type will start out as snow early Saturday. At some point during the day Saturday, the precipitation will transition to a rain/snow mix some where in central or southeastern IL. Freezing rain does not look likely at this time, but with the WAA, we can't completely write it off. It could sneak in if we aren't vigilant. From 12z Sat to 12z Sun, there is a 60-80% chance of 2 inches of snow north of I- 70 and a 20-40% chance of more than 4 inches of snow north of I-72, based off the probabilistic NBM.

Those with travel plans this weekend are urged to check back for additional updates. The probability of wintry travel impacts is steadily increasing, particularly across the northern half of Illinois.

Next week, more wintry precipitation is possible, along with bitterly cold temperatures and wind chills. Highs early next week appear to be in the low 20s to low 30s, with lows potentially in the single digits (mainly north of I-72) to upper teens. Wind chills in the northwestern portion of the CWA have a 20-30% chance of being below 0 degrees Monday morning, based off the LREF.

Copple

AVIATION

(For the 06z TAFs through 06z Wednesday Night) Issued at 1107 PM CST Tue Nov 25 2025

West winds will increase overnight as strong pressure gradients on the periphery of a low pressure center in the upper Midwest affects central IL. Additionally an area of MVFR cigs will overspread the area overnight, reaching KPIA around 08Z and continuing through CMI by around 10Z. MVFR cigs will likely linger into the afternoon before clearing. Winds W around 15 kts with gusts to 25 kts, increasing to 20-25 kts with gusts 35 to 40 kts by 12Z.

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ILX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

Wind Advisory until 6 PM CST this evening for ILZ027>031-036>038- 040>057-061>063-066>068-071>073.