Severe Thunderstorm Warning 1, NWS Chicago, IL

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHICAGO IL
320 AM CDT FRI APR 6 2001

WARM FRONT SPLITS THE CHICAGO AREA THIS MORNING. TEMPERATURES AT
KLOT HAVE CLIMBED TO THE MID 60S WHILE REMAINING IN THE MID 50S
ALONG IL-WI STATE LINE. THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPED SHORTLY AFTER 06Z
ALONG THE WARM FRONT AND HAVE NOW JUST ABOUT FINISHED PASSAGE
THROUGH CHICAGO AREA.

SURFACE ANALYSIS PUTS WEAK LOW OVER CENTRAL LAKE MICHIGAN WITH
MODELS MOVING IT INTO THE LOWER PENINSULA THIS MORNING. THIS SHOULD
ALLOW THE WARM FRONT TO DRIFT BACK SOUTH -- AT LEAST ACROSS THE
NORTHERN HALF/TWO-THIRDS OF THE FORECAST AREA.

THE FRONT WILL SERVE AS A FOCUS FOR ADDITIONAL SHOWER AND
THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY TONIGHT AS THE UPPER LOW OVER BAJA MOVES ONTO
THE CENTRAL PLAINS.

BY SATURDAY THE UPPER LOW CLOSES OFF OVER THE EASTERN DAKOTAS WITH A
DEEPENING SURFACE LOW STACKED BENEATH IT. WITH A STRONG GRADIENT
SURFACE WINDS SHOULD BE RATHER BRISK WITH SPEEDS AT LEAST 25 MPH.

TEMPERATURES TODAY WILL BE TRICKY AS THE WARM FRONT WIGGLES ACROSS
THE AREA. MAX TEMPERATURES IN THE NORTHERN/CENTRAL PORTIONS OF THE
AREA SHOULD OCCUR THIS MORNING THEN FALL BACK TO THE 50S AS THE
FRONT MOVES SOUTH. AS THE UPPER LOW DEVELOPS AND MOVES EAST THE
FRONT WILL MOVE BACK NORTH AGAIN PLACING THE AREA WELL WITHIN THE
WARM SECTOR SATURDAY AND PUSHING MAXS TO/INTO THE 70S. GIVEN THE
LOCATION AND MOVEMENT OF THE SURFACE LOW (ON SUNDAY IT LOOKS LIKE
WARM TEMPERATURES WILL LINGER AT LEAST FOR ANOTHER DAY.

.CHI...NONE.

SOMREK