textproduct: Central Illinois

KEY MESSAGES

- Very cold air remains in place through the weekend with overnight and morning wind chills falling as low as 5 to 20 degrees below zero.

- Light snow chances (20-30%) return Thursday afternoon into Thursday night near and south of Interstate 72. Additional chances for snow are possible this weekend and early next week.

DISCUSSION

Issued at 259 PM CST Wed Jan 28 2026

Abnormally cold weather continues to blanket a good portion of the central and eastern US late this month with temperatures not expected to warm above freezing until the middle to later parts of next week. Strong upper ridging over the western CONUS will remain largely unchanged through the weekend with a large upper trough east of the Rockies in the central and eastern US. At the surface, high pressure ridging centered over the Southern Plains extends north through the Ohio Valley. Steady west-northwest winds this afternoon have allowed temperatures to warm into the teens to low 20s. Overnight lows will dip down into the single digits above and below zero with lighter winds keeping wind chills a little warmer than previous nights, but still bottoming out between 10 to 15 below zero in east-central Illinois.

Cloud cover will increase heading into Thursday as a weak surface low tracks by to our south. The latest suite of guidance has shown a shift northward with the light snow, which has resulted in an increase in precipitation chances (20-30%) near and south of I-72 Thursday afternoon into Thursday night. Limited amounts of moisture with this feature should keep any snow accumulations minor. However, with snow ratios of 15-20:1 even a hundredth or two of QPF could lead to a quick dusting or more of snow. Probabilities for 0.1" or more of snow are sitting around 20-40% near and south of a Springfield to Effingham line.

Temperatures remain well below normal Thursday through the weekend, with daytime highs only expected to peak in the teens to low 20s and overnight lows in the single digits above and below zero. Wind chills will continue to bottom out between 10 and 20 below zero during the overnight and morning timeframe with at least a small chance we will need another cold headline once more through Saturday morning. Temperatures slowly rise beginning Sunday with values approaching the freezing mark by the middle parts of next week.

Upper troughing pivots through the Midwest states on Friday as a strong arctic high sinks into the Northern Plains states. Lake effect snow will develop over Lake Michigan and bring accumulating snow to parts of northeast Illinois and northwest Indiana Friday afternoon through Saturday. Some light snow showers or flurries associated with the lake effect bands could stretch as far south as our northeast counties (Champaign/Vermilion) Friday afternoon through Saturday. Additional chances for snow come Sunday afternoon into Sunday night, and again by the early to middle parts of next week as a series of upper waves work through the area.

NMA

AVIATION

(For the 00z TAFs through 00z Thursday Evening) Issued at 513 PM CST Wed Jan 28 2026

VFR conditions to prevail the next 24 hours, with cloud ceilings generally in the 8-10kft range. Northwest winds will gradually shift to the northeast as a weak disturbance passes southwest of central Illinois on Thursday. Can't rule out some light snow around KSPI in the afternoon, but probabilities of MVFR-level visibilities are more focused between KSPI-KSTL.

Geelhart

ILX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

None.