Indianhead Mountain Resort Snow Report

660 FXUS63 KILX 050728 AFDILX Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Lincoln IL 128 AM CST Thu Nov 5 2026 .KEY MESSAGES... - Lingering Showers North Today: Isolated to scattered light rain showers will affect areas near and north of Interstate 74 through this evening, bringing little to no measurable accumulation. - Widespread Frost and Freeze This Weekend: High confidence in cold overnight temperatures falling into the lower 30s Friday night and Saturday night. - Extended Dry Stretch Ahead: Dry and quiet weather with plenty of sunshine will prevail through at least the middle of next week as daytime highs rebound into the 60s by Monday. && .DISCUSSION... Issued at 119 AM CST Thu Nov 5 2026 Water vapor imagery highlights a potent 500 mb shortwave trough digging equatorward from Ontario into the Great Lakes basin. As this vorticity maximum phases with the broader cyclonic flow, a slow-moving surface low will pivot its wrap-around moisture plume and deformation axis back southwestward across central and eastern Illinois. This setup will maintain overcast skies and generate scattered to periodic light rain showers, mostly near and north of the I-74 corridor. A sharpening baroclinic zone and its accompanying cold front will advance southward through the state tonight. Strong cold air advection in its wake will usher in a significantly cooler, drier continental polar (cP) air mass to finish the workweek. Deep-layer northwesterly flow following the departing trough will rapidly scour out remaining low-level moisture by Friday morning. An expansive 1024 mb surface high centered over the Canadian Prairies will build southeastward into the Midwest for the weekend, establishing a prolonged stretch of tranquil autumn weather. Thermal profiles will feel chilly early Friday, with 850 mb temperatures dropping into the -5C to -2C range. Sensible weather over the weekend will feature crisp daytime highs in the low-to-mid 50s under mostly sunny skies. Efficient nighttime radiational coolingdriven by light winds and a clear, dry boundary layerwill foster widespread frost, as overnight lows fall into the lower 30s across the region. Agricultural and late-season gardening interests should prepare for widespread frost/freeze potential Friday night and Saturday night. Looking ahead to next week, ensemble consensus (GEFS/EPS) shows strong agreement on an amplified synoptic pattern anchored by persistent mid/upper-level ridging over the central CONUS, flanked by an anomalous cut-off low meandering over the Deep South and Gulf Coast. This blocking regime will limit poleward Gulf moisture transport, securing dry and quiet weather through mid-week. As the air mass modifies and 500 mb heights rise, temperatures will gradually moderate back into the 60s starting Monday. && .AVIATION /00Z TAFS THROUGH 00Z FRIDAY/... Issued at 1013 PM CST Wed Nov 4 2026 A large area of broken ceilings with bases near 3k feet will dominate the area tonight. Guidance shows highest probability for breaks in the MVFR ceilings near I-72 especially at KSPI into Thursday morning. An upper level wave moving in from the northwest will bring a renewed round of MVFR ceilings for late Thu morning through the evening. As the wave moves overhead, scattered -SHRA will likely develop during the afternoon to evening, and may be accompanied by IFR ceilings and MVFR visibility at times. Southwest winds will be persistent through Thu afternoon, near 10 kt tonight, then gusts increasing to around 20 kt for afternoon. A cold front will veer winds to the west and northwest through Thursday evening. && .ILX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... None. && $$ KEY MESSAGES...MJA DISCUSSION...MJA AVIATION...25