textproduct: Central Illinois

KEY MESSAGES

- An arctic airmass will bring bitterly cold temperatures over central and southeast IL into next work week. Wind chill values as cold as 10 to 30 below zero are expected this morning along and north of I-70. Wind chills of 10 to 20 below will be common tonight and Saturday morning across central and southeast IL, and again overnight Sunday night into Monday morning. Subzero wind chills should persist several mornings through next work week.

- A long duration winter storm will bring two waves of snow to central and southeast IL Saturday through Sunday evening. Locations near and south of I-72 have a 50-90% chance of total snow amounts exceeding 5 inches, with a 30-60% chance for amounts to exceed 8 inches along and south of I-70 per LREF.

DISCUSSION

Issued at 400 AM CST Fri Jan 23 2026

We have upgraded the winter storm watch into a winter storm warning from 9 am Saturday through midnight Sunday night, and is from Cass, Menard, Logan, DeWitt, Piatt, Champaign and Vermilion counties south. This area could see 5-9 inches with the heaviest amounts southeast of I-70. A winter weather advisory is posted from 9 am Saturday through midnight Sunday night for Schuyler, Fulton, Mason, Peoria, Tazewell, Woodford and McLean county for 3-5 inches of snow forecast.

The extreme cold warning continues through noon today from Fulton, Tazewell and McLean counties north for wind chills as cold as 25 to 30 below, then a cold weather advisory goes through noon Saturday for wind chills of 15-25 below. The rest of central IL has a cold weather advisory this morning through noon Saturday, and added Effingham, Jasper and Crawford counties into this cold weather advisory. Issued a cold weather advisory for Clay, Richland and Lawrence counties for tonight and Saturday morning.

The 09Z/3 am surface map shows strong 1047-1051 mb Arctic high pressure along the Alberta and Saskatchewan province line and ridging se into the Midwest including IL. The arctic cold front had just pushed se of Lawrence county as it was pushing into southern parts of IN/IL. Temps were down to zero at Galesburg and Lacon, and lower 20s in southeast IL se of I-70. NW winds 10-20 mph and gusting 22-33 mph over central IL, was giving wind chills of 15-20 below zero from Macomb to Bloomington north, and lower teens from highway 50 south in far southern CWA. Moline had temp down to 5 below and wind chill of 28 below, and this airmass was spreading se toward our northern CWA where extreme cold warning goes through noon today.

The strong arctic high pressure to settle into the central/eastern Dakotas during today and into southern MN this evening and into the upper MS river valley by dawn Saturday while ridging over IL and keeping us dry and very cold through tonight. NNW winds gusting 25-30 mph this morning to gradually diminish during the afternoon and evening as high pressure moves closer to IL. Temps to continue falling into this morning and getting into the single digits below zero from I-72 north. Temps only climb a few degrees at best this afternoon, and to be the coldest day since Dec 14th. Lows tonight of zero to 6 below over central IL and zero to 5 above in southeast IL. NNE winds around 10 mph to give wind chills as cold as 10-20 below zero across CWA with northern CWA getting a bit colder like BMI and GBG.

A frontal boundary near the Gulf Coast with low pressure moving east along it from south Texas to south of LA by sunset Saturday while a trof of low pressure extended ne into the eastern TN/OH river valleys. Will see overrunning light snow spreading ne into sw IL during early-mid Sat morning and into central/se IL from mid Sat morning into early sat afternoon and continue into Sat evening. Northern CWA will see drier air erode at some of this light snow and cut back on initial amounts there. Between 1 and 3 inches of snow expected from I-72 south Sat afternoon into Sat evening. Highs Sat 7-11 over central IL and 11-14 in southeast IL. Wind chills to modify above 10 below around lunch time Saturday, but still pretty cold wind chills in the single digits below zero common from Sat afternoon into Sunday evening.

Low pressure lifting ne into the southeast TN river valley during Sunday morning, to see stronger frontogenesis/lift into central/se IL later overnight Sat night, especially after 09Z/3 am Sunday and continue into Sunday. Models generally show highest qpf/snowfall amounts during this 2nd round of snows with 3-5 more inches of snow expected along and se of the IL river (1-2 inches over Knox and Stark counties). Could see some sleet mixed with the moderate snow southeast of Robinson to Flora line overnight Sat night. Snow to diminish east of the IL river during Sunday evening with NW winds bringing in more arctic air Sunday night and Monday. Lows Sunday night of zero to 5 below with wind chills of 10-20 below overnight Sunday night into Monday morning, when another cold air advisory will likely be needed for much of our area.

A 1040 mb Canadian high pressure building into Texas and ridging ne into the mid MS and lower Ohio river valley by late Monday to keep frigid air in place over IL early next week with highs Monday only in the lower teens. Just a slight moderation of temps on Tue with highs in the low to mid 20s before another cold front moves se through IL Tue afternoon and drops temps again. Generally dry and very cold wx next work week, and we will be flirting with cold weather advisories again overnight Wed night into Thu morning and possibly overnight Thu night/Fri morning.

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AVIATION

(For the 12z TAFs through 12z Saturday Morning) Issued at 550 AM CST Fri Jan 23 2026

VFR conditions are forecast to prevail across the central IL airports through 12Z/6 am Saturday as strong 1047-1050 mb Arctic high pressure over southern Saskatchewan settles into the upper Midwest and upper MS river valley during tonight. NNW to NW winds gusting 22-28 kts this morning, will veer more northerly and gradually diminish during mid to late afternoon. NNE winds around 10 kts to prevail tonight. Scattered to broken mid to high level clouds to drift eastward across central IL today, with broken to overcast mid level clouds around 10k ft arriving between 08-11Z overnight.

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ILX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

Extreme Cold Warning until noon CST today for ILZ027>031-036>038.

Cold Weather Advisory from noon today to noon CST Saturday for ILZ027>031-036>038.

Winter Weather Advisory from 9 AM Saturday to midnight CST Sunday night for ILZ029-031-036>038-040-041.

Cold Weather Advisory until noon CST Saturday for ILZ040>057- 061>063.

Winter Storm Warning from 9 AM Saturday to midnight CST Sunday night for ILZ042>057-061>063-066>068-071>073.

Cold Weather Advisory until noon CST Saturday for ILZ066>068.

Cold Weather Advisory from 6 PM this evening to noon CST Saturday for ILZ071>073.