ILLINOIS--Just in time for the holiday weekend, we're now under a hazardous weather outlook for most of the state.
A strong front is moving in, being fed by moisture coming straight up from the Gulf. This is the same front that's caused problems with flooding in Texas.
Here's information from NOAA for our north counties readership:
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL 350 PM CDT SUN MAY 24 2015 ILZ062-063-066>068-071>073-251100- CLARK-CLAY-CRAWFORD-CUMBERLAND-EFFINGHAM-JASPER-LAWRENCE-RICHLAND- 350 PM CDT SUN MAY 24 2015 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EAST CENTRAL ILLINOIS...SOUTH CENTRAL ILLINOIS AND SOUTHEAST ILLINOIS. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE INTO THE AREA TONIGHT. WHILE THESE ARE NOT EXPECTED TO BECOME SEVERE...THEY MAY CONTAIN GUSTY WINDS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY PERIODIC STORMS WILL CONTINUE INTO MEMORIAL DAY...WITH THE THREAT DIMINISHING DURING THE AFTERNOON. THESE ARE NOT EXPECTED TO BE SEVERE. PERIODIC CHANCES FOR THUNDERSTORMS WILL RETURN LATE MONDAY NIGHT AND CONTINUE THROUGH WEDNESDAY...WITH ADDITIONAL STORMS LATE IN THE EEK. AT THIS TIME...IT APPEARS THAT TUESDAY WILL HAVE THE BEST CHANCE OF SEEING ANY SEVERE WEATHER...WITH THE MAIN THREAT BEING LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED THROUGH TONIGHT.
And here's information from the same for south counties:
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY 1000 AM CDT SUN MAY 24 2015 ILZ075>078-080>094-INZ081-082-085>088-KYZ001>022-MOZ076-086-087- 100-107>112-114-251500- JEFFERSON-WAYNE IL-EDWARDS-WABASH-PERRY IL-FRANKLIN-HAMILTON- WHITE-JACKSON-WILLIAMSON-SALINE-GALLATIN-UNION IL-JOHNSON-POPE- HARDIN-ALEXANDER-PULASKI-MASSAC-GIBSON-PIKE-POSEY-VANDERBURGH- WARRICK-SPENCER-FULTON-HICKMAN-CARLISLE-BALLARD-MCCRACKEN-GRAVES- LIVINGSTON-MARSHALL-CALLOWAY-CRITTENDEN-LYON-TRIGG-CALDWELL- UNION KY-WEBSTER-HOPKINS-CHRISTIAN-HENDERSON-DAVIESS-MCLEAN- MUHLENBERG-TODD-PERRY MO-BOLLINGER-CAPE GIRARDEAU-WAYNE MO-CARTER- RIPLEY-BUTLER-STODDARD-SCOTT-MISSISSIPPI-NEW MADRID- 1000 AM CDT SUN MAY 24 2015 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHERN ILLINOIS...SOUTHWEST INDIANA...WESTERN KENTUCKY AND SOUTHEAST MISSOURI. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A LAKE WIND ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT TODAY. SOUTH WINDS WILL AVERAGE AROUND 15 MPH WITH GUSTS AROUND 25 MPH. THERE WILL BE AN INCREASING CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS FROM WEST TO EAST ACROSS THE AREA THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH TONIGHT. ISOLATED SEVERE STORMS CANNOT BE RULED OUT...PRIMARILY ALONG AND WEST OF A LINE FROM MOUNT VERNON ILLINOIS TO PADUCAH KENTUCKY LATE TODAY AND TONIGHT. ISOLATED DAMAGING WINDS AND VERY HEAVY RAINFALL WILL BE THE PRIMARY HAZARDS. LOCALIZED FLOODING CANNOT BE RULED OUT...ESPECIALLY ACROSS SOUTHEAST MISSOURI. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY THE CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE WEEK. THE TWO TIME FRAMES OF HIGHEST PROBABILITY WILL BE LATE MONDAY NIGHT INTO TUESDAY...THEN AGAIN FRIDAY NIGHT INTO SATURDAY. THE MAIN HAZARDS WITH THE STORMS THIS WEEK WILL BE LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN... STRONG GUSTY WINDS...LIGHTNING...AND MAYBE SOME MAINLY SMALL HAIL. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUESTED THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT... MAINLY OVER SOUTHEAST MISSOURI AND ADJACENT PARTS OF WEST KENTUCKY AND SOUTHERN ILLINOIS.
Be on the watch, especially if you plan on having charcoal briquettes on the grill in potential wind.