Much Cooler Weekend

It was a beautiful Thursday, with plenty of sunshine and highs in the upper 60s and low 70s across the area. However, a much cooler and rainier pattern begins building in tomorrow and will last us into next week. 

A low pressure system moving in from the west will gradually increase cloud cover overnight. Lows will drop back into the upper 30s and low 40s. Mostly cloudy skies and a cool high pressure system will keep tomorrow's highs in the mid to upper 50s. By Friday night, the low will start moving through, bringing showers to Central Illinois. Expect rain to continue into much of the day on Saturday. Sunday will see some clearing, but highs will only reach the mid to upper 50s through the weekend.

Next week, much warmer conditions will filter in on the backs of southerly winds. But a very unsettled upper level pattern will continue to throw bursts of energy our way. This will mean on and off shower and thunderstorms chances starting Sunday night and lasting through Thursday. It won't be constant rain, but it will help us catch up on some much needed moisture. We're currently 1.25" below normal for the month, and 3.17" below normal for the year. Also, with more heat and energy back in the forecast, some of the afternoon/evening storms could be strong to severe. Stay tuned over the next week for updates.