Marine Weather and Tide Forecast for Lincolnwood, IL

DISCUSSION
Issued at 225 PM CDT Fri Apr 3 2026

Primary forecast concerns are severe and heavy rain potential through tonight.

A cold front (lake enhanced) is moving across the area now with northeast winds currently through the I-80 corridor. this front will continue moving south into the Illinois and Kankakee River valleys later this afternoon and possibly into the far southern cwa by early this evening. This will confine the tornado potential to the far southwest/southern cwa later this afternoon and this evening, leaving just mainly a limited hail potential for the rest of the area. Models have been in fair agreement with convection developing during the late afternoon across west central IL and then lifting northeast across the metro area through the evening. Ahead of this potential, at least isolated thunderstorms are possible across northwest IL with the activity currently across northeast IL. There may be a brief lull in the late evening then another round of showers and thunderstorms are expected overnight, affecting most of the area. The main threat during this time period will be heavy rainfall (which is also possible this evening), which may lead to localized flooding. Given how much rain has already fallen over recent days, the saturated soils and elevated rivers/ streams, its possible flooding may develop a bit faster if heavy rain remains over the same areas. Thus the flooding potential will need to be monitored closely this evening and overnight.

A cold front will move across the area Saturday with showers likely during the morning until the front actually moves through, though there remains uncertainty for how widespread the showers will become as well as the end time. While the bulk of the heavier showers and remaining thunderstorms should be exiting the eastern cwa around/after daybreak, only medium confidence for precip trends/end times Saturday morning.

Westerly winds will steadily increase Saturday morning and may gust as high as 35 mph in the afternoon/early evening and then begin to slowly diminish Saturday evening, though it will still remain breezy/windy Saturday night into Sunday morning. The gradient begins to weaken Sunday afternoon, which may allow for a lake breeze, at least into northwest IN Sunday afternoon.

A stronger cold front is expected to move south across the local area Sunday night, bringing colder temperatures. Generally dry weather is expected during this time period though a few flurries are possible. Depending on how cold the airmass eventually becomes, there could be some lake effect snow showers/flurries but the potential looks low at this time.

Southerly flow and warmer temps return midweek ahead of another cold front that may become stationary across the local area through the end of next week, making for a possible unsettled pattern to return to the area. cms

AVIATION /00Z TAFS THROUGH 06Z SUNDAY/
Issued at 633 PM CDT Fri Apr 3 2026

Scattered showers and thunderstorms will expand into northern IL and northwest IN into the evening with coverage looking to approach the Chicagoland terminals after 02Z. Precip is already beginning to move into RFD's vicinity as of 2330Z. Higher coverage of showers and embedded storms is anticipated during the earlier half of the overnight as a cold front works across northern IL. The thunder threat should wrap up by around 09Z with showers lingering into the early morning. Prevailing MVFR vsbys appear likely through the night with periods of IFR possible.

MVFR cigs have settled over the TAF sites early this evening.
MVFR will prevail through the evening with periods of IFR possible beneath precip. IFR cigs look to take hold for the overnight with LIFR possible, particularly toward daybreak.
Improvements to MVFR are anticipated after daybreak with a return to VFR expected in the early afternoon.

ENE winds will gust to between 20 and 25 kt through this evening, locally higher near storms. They'll generally ease closer to 10 kt and veer to SE for the overnight, but with the occasional gust still possible. Looking like a marginal LLWS setup for late tonight with as many as 40 kt of SSW flow at 2 kft AGL, but did not include a LLWS mention in the TAFs. Expect SW to W winds tomorrow gusting to 25 occasionally up to 30 kt for the late morning and afternoon. W winds will remain breezy through the evening.

Doom

LOT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
IL...Flood Watch through Saturday morning for ILZ003-ILZ004-ILZ005- ILZ006-ILZ008-ILZ010-ILZ011-ILZ012-ILZ013-ILZ019-ILZ020- ILZ021-ILZ023-ILZ032-ILZ033-ILZ039-ILZ103-ILZ104-ILZ105- ILZ106-ILZ107-ILZ108.

IN...Flood Watch through Saturday morning for INZ001-INZ002-INZ010- INZ011-INZ019.

LM...None.