SPRINGFIELD & CENTRAL ILLINOIS FORECAST

A COOLDOWN ALONG WITH A CHANCE FOR SOME RAIN

TUESDAY NIGHT: A spotty shower is possible, otherwise mostly cloudy. Winds: N 3-8 MPH. Low: 65

WEDNESDAY: Scattered AM showers or a stray storm possible. Then a gradual clearing later in the afternoon. Winds: NE 5-10 MPH. High: 82 Low: 53

THURSDAY: Mostly sunny skies and mild temperatures. Winds: N 5-10 MPH. High: 81 Low: 52

FRIDAY: Mostly sunny with seasonable temperatures. High: 84 Low: 62

SATURDAY: Partly cloudy with a chance for late day scattered showers and storms. High: 85 Low: 64

It's not looking great, but at least there is a slight chance for some rain in the coming days. Parts of central Illinois, including Springfield, have not had any significant rain in over three weeks, so rain would be a welcomed sight. Tonight brings a chance for a few spotty showers, particularly overnight, as a cold front sags into the region, otherwise mostly cloudy with lows around 65. For Wednesday, a scattered shower or stray storm is also possible, otherwise expect a mix of clouds and sun with highs around 82.

In the wake of the cold front, the air quality improves, but expect more dry weather. Thursday offers mostly sunny skies with seasonable temperatures and highs around 81, and Friday features more of the same with plenty of sunshine and pleasantly warm temperatures with highs in the low 80s.

But the weekend may bring some beneficial rain. Another weather maker should be arriving as a low pressure system and cold front press into the Missouri Valley and into Illinois this weekend. Look for partly sunny skies on Saturday and Sunday with a chance for some scattered showers and storms both days with highs in the low to mid 80s.

Cheryl Lemke - Storm Team Chief Meteorologist

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EAST CENTRAL ILLINOIS

Champaign-Urbana (WCCU, WBUI) -

SMOKE FROM CANADIAN FIRES LINGERS INTO TUESDAY, CLEARING OUT BY MIDWEEK

TONIGHT: Mid-upper 50s with lingering smoke. Low: 57

TUESDAY: Smoky and warm. Evening scattered showers. High: 87

WEDNESDAY: Early morning light showers. High: 82

THURSDAY: Sunny skies and mild temperatures. High: 82

FRIDAY: Mostly sunny and starting to warm back up. High: 85

Smoke from wildfires in eastern Canada is being pushed into the Midwest and it's having an impact on our air quality here in Central Illinois. Air quality has ranged between Moderate to Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups. Smoke and haze will linger into Tuesday before finally being pushed out by a cold front Tuesday night and into Wednesday.

Temperatures will be a little warmer for Tuesday afternoon. Highs will push back into the mid-upper 80s, but that approaching cold front will bring us a chance for some showers into the evening hours. Best timing for showers will be around the dinner time hours (5-7 PM). A few showers stick around into early Wednesday morning. Skies will clear throughout the day and high temperatures should be about 5-degrees cooler for the midweek.

We're still trending mostly dry but another round of rain looks likely into Saturday and Sunday. This one looks like it will actually be able to fill up some of our rain gauges with models projecting around 0.5-1" of accumulation across the region. Let's hope models continue this trend as we go throughout the rest of the work week.

Storm Team Meteorologist Darren Leeds

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