Current weather · Sep 26, 4:15 AM CDT

42.3670, -89.0870

48°

Partly CloudyFeels like 47° · Humidity 97%NWS forecast for this hour; no recent station reportForecast by NWS Chicago, IL · grid 25,93
High
67°
Low
47°
Rain today
4%
Sunrise
6:48 AM
Sunset
6:46 PM

Hour by hour

NWS forecast grid

Scroll sideways for more hours. Pick an hour for every number.

Every hour as a table48 hours
TimeWeatherTemperatureFeels likeDew pointHumidityChanceAmountSnowDirWindGustSky coverThunderPressureVisibilityCeiling
Sat 4 AM48°47°48°97%0%E3 mph9 mph26%——
Sat 5 AM49°48°47°94%0%E3 mph9 mph30%——
Sat 6 AM49°47°47°95%0%E3 mph9 mph34%——
Sat 7 AM48°48°47°96%0%E3 mph8 mph38%——
Sat 8 AM52°52°49°91%0%E3 mph9 mph46%——
Sat 9 AM56°56°50°81%0%ESE6 mph13 mph53%——
Sat 10 AM60°61°50°69%0%ESE7 mph13 mph58%——
Sat 11 AM63°63°50°61%0%ESE7 mph10 mph58%——
Sat 12 PM65°65°49°57%0%SE7 mph8 mph58%——
Sat 1 PM66°66°49°55%0%SE6 mph7 mph59%——
Sat 2 PM67°67°50°54%0%ESE6 mph7 mph56%——
Sat 3 PM67°67°50°54%0%ESE6 mph7 mph52%——
Sat 4 PM67°67°49°53%0%ESE6 mph8 mph52%——
Sat 5 PM66°66°50°57%0%ESE6 mph8 mph52%——
Sat 6 PM63°63°51°64%1%ESE5 mph8 mph51%——
Sat 7 PM59°59°50°73%2%E6 mph9 mph61%——
Sat 8 PM57°57°50°77%2%E5 mph9 mph55%——
Sat 9 PM55°55°49°80%2%E5 mph9 mph64%——
Sat 10 PM53°53°48°83%4%E5 mph10 mph59%——
Sat 11 PM52°52°48°86%4%E3 mph8 mph51%——
Sun 12 AM51°51°47°87%4%E2 mph6 mph57%——
Sun 1 AM50°50°46°87%6%ESE2 mph6 mph60%——
Sun 2 AM49°49°46°89%6%E1 mph5 mph59%——
Sun 3 AM48°48°45°90%6%E1 mph5 mph57%——
Sun 4 AMChance of very light rain showers48°48°45°90%10%E1 mph5 mph65%——
Sun 5 AMChance of very light rain showers48°48°45°91%10%E1 mph3 mph67%——
Sun 6 AMChance of very light rain showers47°47°45°92%10%ENE1 mph3 mph67%——
Sun 7 AM47°47°46°93%7%ENE1 mph3 mph64%——
Sun 8 AM50°50°49°95%7%ENE1 mph5 mph52%——
Sun 9 AM55°55°52°89%7%E0 mph3 mph58%——
Sun 10 AM60°60°54°79%5%E1 mph3 mph57%——
Sun 11 AM64°64°54°70%5%E1 mph3 mph59%——
Sun 12 PM66°66°54°64%5%ENE0 mph3 mph53%——
Sun 1 PM68°68°53°60%3%ENE1 mph3 mph55%——
Sun 2 PM69°69°54°60%3%ENE1 mph5 mph46%——
Sun 3 PM69°69°54°59%3%NE2 mph5 mph40%——
Sun 4 PM69°69°53°58%3%NNE2 mph5 mph30%——
Sun 5 PM68°68°54°61%3%NNE3 mph5 mph26%——
Sun 6 PM65°65°55°69%3%NNE2 mph5 mph21%——
Sun 7 PM61°61°54°77%0%NNE3 mph6 mph42%——
Sun 8 PM59°59°54°84%0%NNE2 mph5 mph41%——
Sun 9 PM58°58°54°87%0%NE2 mph5 mph40%——
Sun 10 PM56°56°53°89%0%NE2 mph5 mph40%——
Sun 11 PM55°55°52°91%0%NE1 mph5 mph38%——
Mon 12 AM53°53°51°93%0%NE0 mph3 mph37%——
Mon 1 AM52°52°51°94%0%N0 mph2 mph36%——
Mon 2 AM52°52°50°94%0%NNE0 mph3 mph38%——
Mon 3 AM51°51°49°94%0%NNE0 mph3 mph40%——

The next 16 days

NWS grid published Sep 26, 1:21 AM CDT to day 8, the National Blend of Models to day 10, the mean of GFS, ECMWF, ECMWF AI to day 16
  1. TodaySep 2667°47°Mostly Sunny4%wind 7 mph · gusts 13 mph
  2. SunSep 2769°49°Chance Rain Showers then Partly Sunny10%wind 3 mph
  3. MonSep 2870°51°Mostly Sunny0%wind 2 mph
  4. TueSep 2971°58°Partly Sunny then Chance Rain Showers56%wind 9 mph
  5. WedSep 3068°59°Rain Showers Likely68%wind 9 mph · gusts 16 mph
  6. ThuOct 168°54°Showers And Thunderstorms Likely63%wind 10 mph · gusts 17 mph
  7. FriOct 266°55°Chance Rain Showers36%wind 8 mph
  8. SatOct 367°55°31%wind 8 mph · gusts 14 mph
  9. SunOct 463°48°National Blend29%0.42 inwind 10 mph · gusts 16 mph
  10. MonOct 560°47°National Blend21%0.31 inwind 8 mph
  11. TueOct 6~62°43°Model mean
  12. WedOct 7~67°45°Model mean
  13. ThuOct 8~67°49°Model mean0.03 in
  14. FriOct 9~62°46°Model mean
  15. SatOct 10~61°45°Model mean
  16. SunOct 11~47°33°Model mean

Right now

NWS grid for this hour · UV from the EPA · air quality from AirNow
  • Feels like47°
  • WindE 3 mphgusts 9 mph
  • Radar over this pointno reading
  • Humidity97%
  • Dew point48°
  • Pressure—
  • UV index—
  • Air quality—
  • Visibility—
  • Sunrise and sunsetSunrise · Sunset · not yet up
  • Moonrise6:35 PMMoonset 6:43 AM
  • Moon phaseFull moon100% lit

The National Blend of Models

NOAA NBM v5.0 · run of Sep 26, 1:00 AM CDT

NOAA’s weighted blend of every model it runs, to eleven days, with the chances the grid above does not carry. Where the local office’s grid reaches, its figure sits beneath the blend’s; where it does not, the blend stands alone.

  1. TodaySep 2667°47°NWS grid 67° / 47°rain 2%wind 6 mph
  2. SunSep 2769°49°NWS grid 69° / 49°rain 3%wind 3 mph
  3. MonSep 2870°51°NWS grid 70° / 51°rain 1%wind 2 mph
  4. TueSep 2970°58°NWS grid 71° / 58°rain 69%thunder 11%0.16 inwind 8 mph · gusts 14 mph
  5. WedSep 3068°59°NWS grid 68° / 59°rain 65%thunder 10%0.86 inwind 9 mph · gusts 16 mph
  6. ThuOct 168°54°NWS grid 68° / 54°rain 64%thunder 16%0.78 inwind 10 mph · gusts 17 mph
  7. FriOct 266°55°NWS grid 66° / 55°rain 38%thunder 13%0.18 inwind 8 mph
  8. SatOct 367°54°NWS grid 67° / 55°rain 32%0.22 inwind 9 mph
  9. SunOct 463°48°Beyond the NWS gridrain 29%0.42 inwind 10 mph · gusts 16 mph
  10. MonOct 560°47°Beyond the NWS gridrain 21%0.31 inwind 8 mph
  11. TueOct 661°—Beyond the NWS gridrain 10%0.06 inwind 9 mph
41°59°77°SunMonTueWedThuFriSat

BlendNWS gridChance of rain, hourly

The models, side by side

HRRR Sep 26, 1:00 AM CDT · GFS Sep 25, 7:00 PM CDT · GEFS Sep 25, 7:00 PM CDT · ECMWF Sep 25, 7:00 PM CDT · ECMWF AI Sep 25, 7:00 PM CDT

Each line is one model’s own forecast at its own grid cell: three kilometers for HRRR, a quarter of a degree for the global models, which can sit a few hundred meters above or below the town. Where they agree the forecast is settled; where they part is where it is not.

41°59°77°SunMonTueWedThuFriSat

DayNWS gridHRRRGFSGEFSECMWFECMWF AI
Today Sep 2667° 47°68° 49°69° 49°68° 49°68° 50°~69° 48°
Sun Sep 2769° 49°69° 49°71° 49°71° 50°69° 49°~71° 48°
Mon Sep 2870° 51°~61° 60°73° 50°72° 52°65° 50°~73° 52°
Tue Sep 2971° 58°—71° 54°0.47 in71° 53°0.23 in72° 53°0.07 in~74° 51°0.01 in
Wed Sep 3068° 59°—72° 59°68° 61°0.40 in67° 61°0.48 in~67° 62°0.86 in
Thu Oct 168° 54°—70° 64°1.09 in70° 59°0.27 in70° 64°0.15 in~68° 65°0.83 in
Fri Oct 266° 55°—65° 53°0.29 in67° 57°0.33 in~66° 60°~65° 57°
Sat Oct 367° 55°—67° 52°68° 57°0.23 in~65° 52°~65° 53°
Sun Oct 4——64° 53°0.03 in62° 52°0.09 in~64° 47°~65° 52°
Mon Oct 5——54° 41°58° 46°0.05 in~62° 52°~66° 50°
Tue Oct 6——~57° 38°—~60° 43°~69° 47°
Wed Oct 7——~63° 45°—~65° 46°~72° 45°
Thu Oct 8——~55° 44°0.08 in—~70° 53°~77° 52°
Fri Oct 9——~48° 40°—~60° 48°~77° 49°
Sat Oct 10——~56° 38°—~61° 43°~65° 53°
Sun Oct 11——~47° 33°———

A ~ marks a high or low read from six-hourly steps, which miss the true extreme by a degree or two.

ECMWF ensemble meteogram

ECMWF ensemble meteogram for this place: box plots of cloud cover, precipitation, wind speed and temperature from the 51 ensemble members for ten days.
Rendered by ECMWF from its 51-member ensemble, in metric units: each box spans the middle half of the members, the whiskers the rest, the line the control run. A forecast, not an observation. © ECMWF, CC BY 4.0.

The next 90 days

NOAA GHCN normals and records at Rockford (RFD) · Climate Prediction Center outlooks

No forecast has skill day by day past about two weeks, and this page does not print one. Where the models stop, the calendar takes over: the 1991 to 2020 normal for each date, the record high and low ever set on it, and where the Climate Prediction Center leans warm, cool, wet or dry over the coming weeks, the month and the season. A site that shows a high for a date three months out is showing you this normal with a wobble.

The forecast reaches Sun Oct 11, from the NWS grid, then the National Blend, then the mean of the global models. Beyond it the lines are the calendar.

Climate Prediction Center (CPC) temperature lean50%warmer 33% · Oct 202640% chance above normal · Oct to Dec-20°0°20°40°60°80°TodayOct 1Nov 1Dec 1

Forecast high and lowNormal high and lowRecord high and lowCPC leans warmer than normalCPC near normal or equal chances

Week ofNormalWarmest on recordColdest on recordTemperature leanPrecipitation lean
Sep 2669° / 46°94° (1953)23° (2003)no outlookno outlook
Oct 367° / 45°90° (1997)23° (1952)near normal most likely · days 8 to 14near normal most likely · days 8 to 14
Oct 1064° / 41°87° (1975)22° (1988)33% chance above normal · Oct 2026equal chances · Oct 2026
Oct 1761° / 39°86° (1953)18° (1992)33% chance above normal · Oct 2026equal chances · Oct 2026
Oct 2454° / 37°81° (2023)15° (1952)33% chance above normal · Oct 2026equal chances · Oct 2026
Oct 3153° / 33°77° (2016)5° (1951)40% chance above normal · Oct to Decequal chances · Oct to Dec
Nov 751° / 32°77° (2020)3° (1986)40% chance above normal · Oct to Decequal chances · Oct to Dec
Nov 1445° / 31°73° (1971)-0° (1959)40% chance above normal · Oct to Decequal chances · Oct to Dec
Nov 2143° / 27°69° (2010)-10° (1977)40% chance above normal · Oct to Decequal chances · Oct to Dec
Nov 2839° / 24°69° (2012)-6° (1976)40% chance above normal · Oct to Decequal chances · Oct to Dec
Dec 534° / 20°67° (2001)-18° (1972)40% chance above normal · Oct to Decequal chances · Oct to Dec
Dec 1236° / 21°69° (2021)-17° (1983)40% chance above normal · Oct to Decequal chances · Oct to Dec
Dec 1933° / 21°62° (2020)-24° (1983)40% chance above normal · Oct to Decequal chances · Oct to Dec

Health and activities

Rules of thumb over the next 24 hours of forecast, the warnings in force, the station’s report, air quality and pollen

None of these is a measurement. Each is a rating of the forecast ahead, and of what is happening at the point right now, against what the activity or the ailment is known to mind, and each names the figure that decided it. An ailment or a pest is rated as a risk, low to extreme; an activity, a chore or a journey as a condition, poor to ideal.

Each rating says which span it is for: the rest of today’s daylight, tonight, or the next 24 hours.

Health

  • Arthritisnext 24 hModeratehumid
  • Sinus pressurenext 24 hLowsteady conditions
  • Common coldtodayLowmild
  • FlutodayLowmild
  • Migrainenext 24 hLowsteady conditions
  • Asthmanext 24 hLowclean air
  • Heat stresstodayLowmild
  • SunburntodayLowweak sun
  • Frostbitenext 24 hLowmild
  • SleepingtonightIdealcool, quiet night

Outdoors

  • RunningtodayIdealfine conditions
  • HikingtodayIdealfine conditions
  • BikingtodayIdealfine conditions
  • GolftodayIdealfine conditions
  • FishingtodayIdealfine conditions
  • Boating and paddlingtodayIdealfine conditions
  • Beach and pooltodayGoodcool
  • CampingtonightIdealfine conditions
  • StargazingtonightPoorbright moon

Travel

  • Air travelnext 24 hIdealclear skies
  • Drivingnext 24 hIdealclear roads

Home and garden

  • Lawn mowingtodayIdealfine conditions
  • GardeningtodayIdealfine conditions
  • Outdoor entertainingtodayIdealfine conditions
  • Drying laundry outsidetodayIdealfine conditions
  • Painting and outdoor projectstodayIdealfine conditions
  • FrosttonightLowmild

Pests

  • MosquitoestodayHighwarm
  • TickstodayHighwarm
  • Indoor pestsnext 24 hHighcool nights, warm days
  • Outdoor peststodayModeratewarm

Stargazing

Worked out from the NWS hourly forecast and the sun and moon

Tonight has no dark, clear hour without a bright moon in this forecast. Rated poor.

Night ofRatingDarkClear hoursClear and moonlessMoon litTransparency (est.)DewStrongest wind
SaturdayPoor8:20 PM to 5:15 AM0 of 9None100%3 h5 mph
SundayPoor8:18 PM to 5:16 AM0 of 9None98%7 h2 mph
MondayFair8:16 PM to 5:18 AM6 of 9None93%Poor7 h2 mph
TuesdayPoor8:15 PM to 5:19 AM0 of 9None87%5 h7 mph
WednesdayPoor8:13 PM to 5:20 AM0 of 9None79%8 h7 mph
ThursdayPoor8:11 PM to 5:21 AM0 of 9None70%7 h7 mph
FridayPoor8:09 PM to 5:22 AM0 of 9None60%6 h5 mph

Dark is the sun 18 degrees below the horizon; where it never gets that low, 12 degrees, marked nautical. Clear is sky cover of 20% or less. A bright moon is one above the horizon with a quarter or more of its disc lit. Transparency in the table is estimated from surface humidity (70% and 85% mark fair and poor) and visibility, since the forecast carries no haze or high cloud moisture. Seeing and transparency by hour, where shown, are Environment and Climate Change Canada’s astronomy forecast (regional model; seeing from cloud, wind shear, turbulence near the ground and the surface temperature trend; transparency from the moisture through the whole air column), under the Open Government Licence - Canada. Dew is the air within 2 °C of its dew point. Excellent is four or more clear moonless hours with good transparency; good is three; fair is one, or two clear hours.

Golden hour and blue hour

Computed from the sun and moon positions
DayBlue hour, morningGolden hour, morningGolden hour, eveningBlue hour, evening
Sat6:20 AM to 6:31 AM6:31 AM to 7:25 AM6:09 PM to 7:04 PM7:04 PM to 7:14 PM
Sun6:21 AM to 6:32 AM6:32 AM to 7:26 AM6:08 PM to 7:02 PM7:02 PM to 7:13 PM
Mon6:22 AM to 6:33 AM6:33 AM to 7:27 AM6:06 PM to 7:00 PM7:00 PM to 7:11 PM
Tue6:23 AM to 6:34 AM6:34 AM to 7:29 AM6:04 PM to 6:58 PM6:58 PM to 7:09 PM
Wed6:24 AM to 6:35 AM6:35 AM to 7:30 AM6:02 PM to 6:57 PM6:57 PM to 7:07 PM
Thu6:26 AM to 6:36 AM6:36 AM to 7:31 AM6:00 PM to 6:55 PM6:55 PM to 7:06 PM
Fri6:27 AM to 6:37 AM6:37 AM to 7:32 AM5:59 PM to 6:53 PM6:53 PM to 7:04 PM
NESWSRSSMRMS
  • SR Sunrise 6:48 AM, 91° E
  • SS Sunset 6:46 PM, 269° W
  • MR Moonrise 6:35 PM, 82° E
  • MS Moonset 6:43 AM, 274° W
  • Full moon, 100% lit

Golden hour is the sun between 6 degrees above the horizon and 4 degrees below it; blue hour is the sun between 4 and 6 degrees below. These are the definitions timeanddate.com and PhotoPills use. Directions are degrees clockwise from true north, where the sun’s upper edge and the moon’s center cross a flat horizon; hills and buildings change both. None means the sun does not reach that height on the day; all day means it stays inside the band.

Drone flying

NWS hourly forecast, SWPC Kp, FAA TFRs and 14 CFR Part 107

This hour: fly with caution (gusts near or over your limit, night: lighting and night training required (107.29)). Next good stretch: Sat 7 AM to 6 PM, 11 hours.

Today: civil twilight for Part 107 6:18 AM to sunrise 6:48 AM, and sunset 6:46 PM to 7:16 PM. Anti-collision lighting is required in those minutes and at night.

Sat6 AM12 PM6 PM
Sun12 AM6 AM12 PM6 PM
Mon12 AM6 AM12 PM6 PM

Good Caution No-fly

HourVerdictWind (mph)400 ft est. (mph)Gust (mph)RainVisibilityCloud allowsTempKpWhy
Sat 4 AMCaution314190%48°gusts near or over your limit, night: lighting and night training required (107.29)
Sat 5 AMCaution314190%49°gusts near or over your limit, night: lighting and night training required (107.29)
Sat 6 AMCaution314190%49°gusts near or over your limit, night: lighting and night training required (107.29)
Sat 7 AMGood3490%48°nothing against it
Sat 8 AMGood34100%52°nothing against it
Sat 9 AMGood67140%56°nothing against it
Sat 10 AMGood79150%60°nothing against it
Sat 11 AMGood79120%63°nothing against it
Sat 12 PMGood79100%65°nothing against it
Sat 1 PMGood6790%66°nothing against it
Sat 2 PMGood6790%67°nothing against it
Sat 3 PMGood6790%67°nothing against it
Sat 4 PMGood67100%67°nothing against it
Sat 5 PMGood67100%66°nothing against it
Sat 6 PMCaution5691%63°civil twilight: lighting required (107.29)
Sat 7 PMCaution614172%59°night: lighting and night training required (107.29)
Sat 8 PMCaution511162%57°night: lighting and night training required (107.29)
Sat 9 PMCaution511162%55°night: lighting and night training required (107.29)
Sat 10 PMCaution511174%53°night: lighting and night training required (107.29)
Sat 11 PMCaution38134%52°night: lighting and night training required (107.29)
Sun 12 AMCaution2694%51°night: lighting and night training required (107.29)
Sun 1 AMCaution2696%50°night: lighting and night training required (107.29)
Sun 2 AMCaution1366%49°night: lighting and night training required (107.29)
Sun 3 AMCaution1366%48°night: lighting and night training required (107.29)

Flight restrictions nearby

Reading the FAA’s temporary flight restrictions.

Flight restrictions on the map. TFRs are not the whole picture: controlled airspace around airports needs LAANC authorization. Check the FAA’s B4UFLY.

Wind at 400 ft is estimated from the 10 m forecast by the power law, with exponents for each Pasquill stability class (Irwin 1979, rural, as in EPA dispersion models; the class from wind, sun height and cloud, after Turner 1970); gusts keep the ground gust’s margin. Caution from three quarters of your limit; the default 24 mph is the wind resistance printed for common sub-250 g drones. 14 CFR 107.51: “The minimum flight visibility, as observed from the location of the control station must be no less than 3 statute miles” and at least “500 feet below the cloud”. 14 CFR 107.29: “No person may operate a small unmanned aircraft system during periods of civil twilight unless the small unmanned aircraft has lighted anti-collision lighting visible for at least 3 statute miles”; civil twilight is the 30 minutes before sunrise and after sunset, in Alaska the Air Almanac’s. Kp: SWPC’s scales say satellite navigation problems may occur at G3 (Kp 7) and navigation is “degraded for hours” at G4 (Kp 8); Kp 5 is the typical app warning. Typical limits, not rules: rain chance 30% caution and 60% no-fly, thunder 10% and 20%, below 0 °C caution and −10 °C no-fly, over 40 °C caution. Your drone’s manual and the airspace come first.

Spraying and field work

Worked out from the NWS hourly forecast

Hours fit for spraying, and the days dry enough for fieldwork and hay, read from this forecast’s wind, gusts, humidity, temperature and rain.

Spraying windows

  • Sat 9 AM to 10 PM 13 hours, every hour within the rules
  • Tue 10 AM to 3 PM 5 hours, every hour within the rules
  • Fri 1 PM to 8 PM 7 hours, every hour within the rules
  • Sat 1 PM to 4 PM 3 hours, every hour within the rules
Sat6 AM12 PM6 PM
Sun12 AM6 AM12 PM6 PM
Mon12 AM6 AM12 PM6 PM
Tue12 AM6 AM12 PM6 PM

Good Marginal No

Field days

DayDaytimeChance of rainRainLowest humidityStrongest windDry days in a rowHay drying
SaturdayDry2%0.00 in53%7 mph3 d
SundayDry7%0.00 in58%3 mph2 d
MondayDry0%0.00 in58%2 mph1 d
TuesdayShowers possible56%0.00 in62%9 mph
WednesdayShowers possible57%0.00 in80%9 mph
ThursdayShowers possible56%0.00 in75%10 mph
FridayShowers possible36%0.00 in69%8 mph
SaturdayShowers possible31%0.00 in75%8 mph

Spraying: sustained wind 3 to 10 mph, the range US extension services and most labels give; gusts no more than 15 mph (this page’s limit); delta T (air minus wet-bulb temperature) 2 to 8 °C preferred and 8 to 10 °C marginal, from GRDC guidance, with the wet bulb by Stull’s formula; no hour at a 30% chance of rain or 0.25 mm forecast during the rain-free time. Follow the product label, which overrides all of this. Field days: dry is no daytime hour at a 30% chance and under 1 mm all day, wet is 6 mm (0.25 in) or more; soil moisture is not in the forecast, so ground still wet from earlier rain is not accounted for. Hay drying marks a dry day with humidity down to 50% and a breeze of 5 mph or more.

Solunar times

Computed from the moon’s position

The best-rated day this week is Saturday, rated best.

DayRatingMajor periodsMinor periodsMoonSunrise, sunset
Sat Best11:22 PM to 1:22 AM11:45 AM to 1:45 PM6:13 AM to 7:13 AM6:05 PM to 7:05 PM 100%6:48 AM, 6:46 PM
Sun Best12:08 AM to 2:08 AM12:31 PM to 2:31 PM7:24 AM to 8:24 AM6:28 PM to 7:28 PM 99%6:49 AM, 6:45 PM
Mon Good12:56 AM to 2:56 AM1:21 PM to 3:21 PM8:39 AM to 9:39 AM6:55 PM to 7:55 PM 95%6:50 AM, 6:43 PM
Tue Good1:48 AM to 3:48 AM2:15 PM to 4:15 PM9:56 AM to 10:56 AM7:27 PM to 8:27 PM 90%6:51 AM, 6:41 PM
Wed Poor2:44 AM to 4:44 AM3:14 PM to 5:14 PM11:13 AM to 12:13 PM8:09 PM to 9:09 PM 82%6:52 AM, 6:39 PM
Thu Fair3:44 AM to 5:44 AM4:15 PM to 6:15 PM12:27 PM to 1:27 PM9:02 PM to 10:02 PM 73%6:54 AM, 6:38 PM
Fri Fair4:47 AM to 6:47 AM5:18 PM to 7:18 PM1:32 PM to 2:32 PM10:06 PM to 11:06 PM 64%6:55 AM, 6:36 PM

Periods in bold fall within an hour of sunrise or sunset. The weather’s side is the fishing index

Major periods are two hours centered on the moon’s passage overhead and underfoot; minor periods are one hour centered on moonrise and moonset: the conventional durations of John Alden Knight’s solunar tables (1936). The rating is this site’s: one point to start, two more within a day and a half of a new or full moon (one more within three and a half days), and one more when a period falls within an hour of sunrise or sunset. The theory has mixed support in fisheries research; the times are exact astronomy.

In words

NWS forecast periods, as issued
  1. Overnight48° · E 5 mph

    Partly cloudy, with a low around 48. East wind around 5 mph.

  2. Saturday67° · ESE 5 mph

    Mostly sunny, with a high near 67. East southeast wind around 5 mph, with gusts as high as 15 mph.

  3. Saturday Night47° · 10% · E 0–5 mph

    A chance of rain showers after 4am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 47. East wind 0 to 5 mph, with gusts as high as 10 mph.

  4. Sunday69° · 10% · ENE 0–5 mph

    A chance of rain showers before 7am. Partly sunny, with a high near 69. East northeast wind 0 to 5 mph.

  5. Sunday Night49° · 3% · NNE 0–5 mph

    Partly cloudy, with a low around 49. North northeast wind 0 to 5 mph.

  6. Monday70° · 0 mph

    Mostly sunny, with a high near 70.

  7. Monday Night51° · 0 mph

    Mostly clear, with a low around 51.

  8. Tuesday71° · 26% · SSE 0–10 mph

    A chance of rain showers after 1pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 71.

  9. Tuesday Night58° · 68% · S 5 mph

    Rain showers likely. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 58.

  10. Wednesday68° · 68% · S 10 mph

    Rain showers likely. Cloudy, with a high near 68.

  11. Wednesday Night59° · 63% · SSE 5–10 mph

    A chance of rain showers before 7pm, then showers and thunderstorms likely. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 59.

  12. Thursday68° · 63% · SSE 5–10 mph

    Showers and thunderstorms likely. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 68.

  13. Thursday Night54° · 50% · S 5–10 mph

    A chance of rain showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 54.

  14. Friday66° · 36% · WSW 5–10 mph

    A chance of rain showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 66.

The forecaster’s discussion

NWS Chicago, IL · issued Sep 26, 1:57 AM CDT

Written by the forecaster on duty for their own colleagues and for anyone who wants to know why the forecast says what it says. It is not edited for the public, so it uses the office’s shorthand; it is also the most honest thing any weather service publishes.

KEY Messages

Seasonable temperatures for late September are expected over the next several days.

The next chances for widespread rainfall are forecasted to come mid to late next week.

Discussion

157 AM CDT Sat Sep 26 2026

A Rex block comprised of expansive ridging/high pressure over the Great Lakes, eastern Ontario, and southwestern Quebec and a deep coastal low/nor'easter just off the Mid-Atlantic coast will lead to tranquil conditions here locally over the weekend and into early next week. Seasonable temperatures for late September with highs in the mid 60s to mid 70s and lows in the mid 40s to mid 50s can be expected while the blocking pattern is in place and keeps the same air mass locked in over the region.

One prominent shortwave presently over the central Plains will attempt to lift northeastward into the western Great Lakes tonight but will be stymied as it encounters the aforementioned Great Lakes ridge. A steady feed of dry low-mid-level air along the southern flank of the ridge should erode the associated shower activity as it attempts to enter our forecast area while its main forcing source is quickly weakened. A few of the latest high-resolution model runs suggest that these showers/sprinkles could get as far east as the I-39 corridor or so late tonight into Sunday morning before fading for good, though the majority of the latest forecast guidance generally favors this activity staying fenced off just to the west of our westernmost counties.

By midweek, the eastern CONUS Rex block will have broken down, allowing for a more progressive weather pattern to take shape. A deep, positively-tilted longwave Pacific trough will evolve into a cut-off upper low over the Desert Southwest Monday into Tuesday, while a separate shortwave component of this trough breaks off and continues to progress towards the Great Lakes. As this shortwave disturbance arrives in the region in tandem with a frontal zone and an influx of column moisture, a period of rain appears likely to occur in our area sometime late Tuesday into Wednesday. There is a fair amount of ensemble support for a modest amount of instability building into our area during this time period, suggesting that there could be some potential for thunderstorms. However, this support is far from unanimous at this point.

How things will play out for late Wednesday and beyond will hinge heavily upon a complex interaction between the aforementioned upper low and the remnants of Pacific Hurricane Polo. Ensemble guidance broadly favors another period of rain (or perhaps just one, drawn-out period of rainfall beginning with the late Tuesday/Wednesday precipitation) occurring here during the latter half of the week as these atmospheric features lift northeastward towards the Midwest and induce a poleward surge of combined Gulf and Pacific moisture. Unsurprisingly though, there is still quite a bit of spread across the latest global ensemble suites in exactly when any additional rainfall may occur here and how much rain we'll get. The broad-brushed chance and lower-end likely PoPs offered up by the NBM for the first few days of October thus seem to look appropriate for now.

Ogorek

Aviation · 06Z TAFs Through 12Z Sunday

1245 AM CDT Sat Sep 26 2026

There remains a very low potential for patchy shallow BR (MIFG) outside of Chicago early this morning, however, the potential remains too low to include with this update. Otherwise VFR conditions are forecast through the period with increasing high cloud coverage expected through midday.

Light ENE to at times variable winds early this morning may briefly turn ESE after daybreak before returning to an east direction late morning and back to ENE in the wake of a weak lake breeze in the afternoon around 5-10 kt. Winds then ease again after sunset, becoming light and variable under 5 kt through early Sunday morning.

Petr

LOT Watches / Warnings / Advisories

IL...None. IN...None. LM...None.

Hazardous weather outlook Sep 26, 2:35 AM CDT

The office’s own seven-day heads-up for spotters and emergency managers.

FLUS43 KLOT 260735
HWOLOT

Hazardous Weather Outlook
National Weather Service Chicago/Romeoville IL
235 AM CDT Sat Sep 26 2026

ILZ003>006-008-010>013-019>021-023-032-033-039-103>108-INZ001-002-
010-011-019-270745-
Winnebago-Boone-McHenry-Lake IL-Ogle-Lee-De Kalb-Kane-DuPage-
La Salle-Kendall-Grundy-Kankakee-Livingston-Iroquois-Ford-
Northern Cook-Central Cook-Southern Cook-Northern Will-
Southern Will-Eastern Will-Lake IN-Porter-Newton-Jasper-Benton-
235 AM CDT Sat Sep 26 2026 /335 AM EDT Sat Sep 26 2026/

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of north central
Illinois...northeast Illinois and northwest Indiana.

.DAY ONE...Today and Tonight.

  No hazardous weather is expected at this time.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Sunday through Friday.

Tuesday through Thursday...
  Limited Thunderstorm Risk.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

  Spotter activation will not be necessary through tonight.

$$

LMZ740>745-270745-
Winthrop Harbor to Wilmette Harbor IL-
Wilmette Harbor to Northerly Island IL-
Northerly Island to Calumet Harbor IL-
Calumet Harbor IL to Gary IN-Gary to Burns Harbor IN-
Burns Harbor to Michigan City IN-
235 AM CDT Sat Sep 26 2026

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of the Illinois
nearshore waters of Lake Michigan and the Indiana nearshore
waters of Lake Michigan.

.DAY ONE...Today and Tonight.

  No hazardous weather is expected at this time.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Sunday through Friday.

Tuesday through Thursday...
  Limited Thunderstorm Risk.

$$

Ogorek

Visit us at www.weather.gov/chicago

The outlooks beyond

SPC, WPC, CPC and the Drought Monitor, read at this point

The national centers each publish a judgment the local grid does not carry. Read here at this exact coordinate.

Severe weather

  1. Day 1 · Sat Sep 26No risk area
  2. Day 2 · Sun Sep 27No risk area
  3. Day 3 · Mon Sep 28No risk area
  4. Day 4 · Tue Sep 29No risk area
  5. Day 5 · Wed Sep 30No risk area
  6. Day 6 · Thu Oct 1No risk area
  7. Day 7 · Fri Oct 2No risk area
  8. Day 8 · Sat Oct 3No risk area

Rainfall

  1. Day 1 · Sat Sep 26Under 0.01 in
  2. Day 2 · Sun Sep 27Under 0.01 in
  3. Day 3 · Mon Sep 28Under 0.01 in
  4. Day 4-5 · Sep 29–Sep 301.00 in
  5. Day 6-7 · Oct 1–Oct 20.75 in

The rainfall forecast on the map, days 1 to 7

Flash flood risk

  1. Day 1 · Sat Sep 26Below marginal
  2. Day 2 · Sun Sep 27Below marginal
  3. Day 3 · Mon Sep 28Below marginal
  4. Day 4 · Tue Sep 29Marginal
  5. Day 5 · Wed Sep 30Marginal

Six to fourteen days

  1. Days 6–10 · Temperature50% chance above normalOct 1–Oct 5
  2. Days 6–10 · Precipitation40% chance above normalOct 1–Oct 5
  3. Days 8–14 · TemperatureNear normal most likelyOct 3–Oct 9
  4. Days 8–14 · PrecipitationNear normal most likelyOct 3–Oct 9

Hazards, 3 to 14 days

  1. Wed Sep 30Heavy Rain

Drought

  1. Drought Monitor, map of Sep 22D0 Abnormally dry

Drought in this county: the map, the record since 2000 and the outlook

Frost and climate

NOAA 1991-2020 normals, Beloit

The last spring freeze (32°F) usually comes around May 1 and the first fall freeze around October 12: a growing season of about 162 days.

One fall in ten brings a freeze by September 28; one spring in ten still has one after May 16.

Climate of 42.37, -89.09: normals, records and every month

Everything else on the grid

NWS forecast grid · 27 elements

The forecast office edits about sixty fields for every cell of its grid. The common ones are above; these are the rest, as the daily extreme, for anyone who needs the mixing height, the fire danger or the swell.

ElementSatSunMonTueWedThuFriSat
Wet bulb globe temperature max63°66°67°67°66°66°64°65°
Heat index max70°71°
Wind chill min47°47°49°
Chance of thunder max0%0%0%12%16%16%7%9%
Mixing height max3,500 ft2,800 ft3,600 ft2,000 ft2,200 ft2,300 ft2,200 ft
Transport wind max10 mph9 mph8 mph13 mph12 mph13 mph13 mph
Twenty-foot wind max6 mph3 mph2 mph8 mph9 mph9 mph8 mph8 mph

Against the record

NOAA GHCN · Rockford (RFD) · 12 mi away

Each forecast day against the same calendar date at the nearest long-record station: the 1991 to 2020 normal, and the record high and low with the year they were set.

DayForecastNormalRecord highRecord low
Sat Sep 2667° / 47°72° / 50°90° (1998)32° (1975)
Sun Sep 2769° / 49°70° / 48°90° (2021)30° (1991)
Mon Sep 2870° / 51°68° / 47°91° (1952)32° (1991)
Tue Sep 2971° / 58°69° / 46°94° (1953)29° (1984)
Wed Sep 3068° / 59°71° / 47°92° (1971)27° (1984)
Thu Oct 168° / 54°70° / 47°90° (1971)28° (2003)
Fri Oct 266° / 55°68° / 47°88° (1971)23° (2003)
Sat Oct 367° / 55°68° / 48°90° (1997)28° (1952)

Sun and moon

DayCivil twilightSunriseSunsetCivil twilightDaylightMoon
Sat6:20 AM6:48 AM6:46 PM7:14 PM11 h 58 min Full moon · 100% lit
Sun6:21 AM6:49 AM6:45 PM7:13 PM11 h 56 min Waning gibbous · 99% lit
Mon6:22 AM6:50 AM6:43 PM7:11 PM11 h 53 min Waning gibbous · 95% lit
Tue6:23 AM6:51 AM6:41 PM7:09 PM11 h 50 min Waning gibbous · 90% lit
Wed6:24 AM6:52 AM6:39 PM7:07 PM11 h 47 min Waning gibbous · 82% lit
Thu6:26 AM6:54 AM6:38 PM7:06 PM11 h 44 min Waning gibbous · 73% lit
Fri6:27 AM6:55 AM6:36 PM7:04 PM11 h 41 min Waning gibbous · 64% lit
Sat6:28 AM6:56 AM6:34 PM7:02 PM11 h 38 min Last quarter · 53% lit

Forecast from the National Weather Service forecast grid at api.weather.gov, updated by the local office through the day; the written periods and hourly digest are the NWS’s own. Outlooks from the Storm Prediction Center, the Weather Prediction Center and the Climate Prediction Center via NOAA’s map services. Records and normals from NOAA’s Global Historical Climatology Network. Sun and moon computed here. Place names from GeoNames (CC BY 4.0).

What is here

Seven days
The high, the low, the chance and amount of rain and snow, the wind and the forecaster’s words for each day and night, from the National Weather Service grid for the exact cell your town sits in.
Hour by hour
Temperature, what it feels like, dew point, humidity, chance and amount of precipitation, wind and gusts, sky cover, the chance of thunder, pressure, visibility and ceiling, as a chart and as a table, with nights shaded.
Everything else on the grid
The office edits about sixty fields for every cell. The ones the mainstream forecast pages leave out are here as a daily table: HeatRisk, wet bulb globe temperature, lightning activity, mixing height, transport wind, the fire weather indices, and at the coast the waves and swell.
The discussion
The Area Forecast Discussion the forecaster wrote to explain the forecast, in their own words, with the specialist annexes folded away. Also the office’s hazardous weather outlook.
Beyond the week
The Storm Prediction Center’s severe weather category for each of the next eight days, the Weather Prediction Center’s rainfall forecast to day seven and its winter storm severity, and the Climate Prediction Center’s odds for days six to fourteen, all read at your coordinate.
Against the record
Each forecast day beside the same date at the nearest long-record station: the thirty-year normal and the record high and low with their years, so a forecast high that would break a record says so.
The next 90 days
The forecast as far as the grid, the National Blend and the global models reach, and the calendar after that: the normal and the record for every date, with the Climate Prediction Center’s lean for the weeks, the month and the season drawn over them. No made-up highs for a date three months out.

Common questions

Where does this forecast come from?

From the National Weather Service forecast grid published at api.weather.gov, the same grid the local forecast office edits through the day and the source of every forecast on weather.gov. The written periods, the hourly digest and the forecaster’s discussion are the NWS’s own products, shown as issued. Nothing here is a blend a website made.

How far ahead does it go?

The grid runs seven days ahead, hour by hour for the first days and in three to six hour steps after that. The National Blend of Models carries the days to eleven and the global models to sixteen. Beyond that the page carries the national centers’ outlooks, severe weather to day eight, rainfall to day seven, and the Climate Prediction Center’s odds for the coming weeks, month and season, over a ninety-day calendar of the normal and the record for each date. No forecast has skill day by day past about two weeks, and this page does not print one.

Why is this different from the app on my phone?

Most forecast apps show a blend of models chosen by the company that makes the app. This page shows the forecast the local National Weather Service office issues, edited by the forecasters who will also issue the warnings, and it shows all of it rather than the six numbers that fit on a phone. The discussion explains the reasoning, which no app carries.

What is a place’s address here?

Every town has its own page, such as /forecast/us/oklahoma/oklahoma-city/, and every day at a town has one too. A ZIP code typed into the search goes to the town it belongs to. Any coordinate at all can be looked up, and the page names the nearest town.

What the weather actually was · Open the live radar · Where the data comes from