Peoria, Illinois 7 Day Weather Forecast

Wx Forecast - Wx Discussion - Wx Aviation

365
FXUS63 KILX 160548
AFDILX

Area Forecast Discussion...Updated Aviation
National Weather Service Lincoln IL
1248 AM CDT Mon Mar 16 2026

.KEY MESSAGES...

- A line of severe thunderstorms capable of damaging winds (60-75+
  mph gusts), embedded tornadoes, and small hail will move through
  Central and Southeastern IL from 3pm-9pm this evening.

- A transition from rain to snow late this evening behind a strong
  cold front, accompanied by wind gusts as high as 45-55 mph at
  times and rapidly falling temperatures. A Blizzard Warning is
  posted for Knox and Stark Counties and a Winter Weather Advisory
  for Schuyler to Marshall County from 10 pm tonight until 1 pm
  Monday.

- Subfreezing high temperatures on Monday and Tuesday, with
  minimum wind chills of zero to 5 below over the IL river valley
  Monday morning and -10 to near 0 Tuesday morning.

&&

.DISCUSSION...
Issued at 1242 PM CDT Sun Mar 15 2026

The very strong low pressure system is making its way across the
U.S. today. We will see every type of weather in the next 24 hours.
Here is a quick overview before digging into each aspect of the
forecast for the next 24-30 hours. Ahead of the system, very strong
gradient winds, with gusts upwards of 55 mph, are expected. Then,
behind the system, wind gusts of 35-45 mph are expected through
Monday. A strong cold front will bring a line of thunderstorms
through central and southeastern IL this afternoon into evening with
the potential for 75+ mph wind gusts, embedded tornadoes, and small
hail. Behind the front, rain will change over to snow. A blizzard is
expected north of the Illinois River Valley overnight into late
tomorrow morning. Then brutal wind chills will move in for Monday
morning and Tuesday morning.

Highs today will be quite warm in the upper 60s to near 70. Behind
the cold front, the temperatures will plummet. Lows tonight are in
the teens to low 20s but the wind chills will be -5 to 10 degrees
across the forecast area by the morning hours. Tuesday morning will
be the coldest morning with wind chills widely near or below zero (-
10 to 0 degrees). However, the good news is that this doesn`t stick
around as we rebound into the upper 60s to low 70s by late week.
Yippee!!

First up is the very strong gradient winds. We have a Wind Advisory
out for the entire forecast area and it is in effect through 12z
tomorrow morning. South winds 25 to 35 mph with gusts up to 45 to 55
mph expected today. The winds will shift out of the west to
northwest tonight behind the cold front. Gusty winds will blow
around unsecured objects. Tree limbs could be blown down and a few
power outages may result. The concern with power outages today,
whether it is from the gradient winds or the line of storms later
today, is the very cold wind chills in the morning and Tuesday
morning. Having a back up way to stay warm is very important to
think about today with this system.

Next is the line of thunderstorms this afternoon. SPC has central IL
outlooked for a slight risk (level 2 of 5) for severe weather east
of a Quincy to Kewanee line and an enhanced risk (level 3 of 5) for
areas southeast of a Danville to Vandalia line. There was some
strong to severe storms already this morning with hail and some
stronger wind gusts, but that was only the appetizer. There is a
line of thunderstorms (QLCS) expected to move through between 3pm
and 9pm. These have the potential for embedded thunderstorms,
damaging winds with gusts of 75+ mph, and some small hail. This QLCS
will travel east across central and southeastern IL at 50 mph.

Behind the line of storms, our focus shifts to the wintry side of
the system. Rain will begin to transition to snow as temperatures
plummet on the cold side of the system. Snow amounts to the west of
I-55 will see 1-5 inches, with the highest amounts north of the
Illinois River. Snow amounts east of I-55 are up to an inch (closest
to I-55) to just a dusting as you approach I-70. South of I-70 may
be able to avoid getting in the snow game, with only a trace to a
tenth being forecast as of now. It will be difficult to measure as
the wind will be blowing the snow as it falls. Even if a decent
amount of snow falls to the ground, some bare spots on the ground
are possible as the snow gets moved by the wind. With the very
strong winds, gusting to 35-45 mph as the deformation zone passes
over, blizzard conditions are expected, especially west of the
Illinois River Valley this evening into late tomorrow morning.
Travel will be difficult and the morning commute will be affected.

Beyond Tuesday morning, a quick clipper system will move through
Tuesday night into Wednesday morning, bringing another quick dose of
snow to the northern part of the forecast area. Then the forecast
gets dry through next weekend.

Copple

&&

.AVIATION...  (For the 06z TAFs through 06z Monday Night)
Issued at 1248 AM CDT Mon Mar 16 2026

Snow with IFR and MVFR cigs, along with ranging vis from 9sm at
SPI to 1 1/4sm at PIA. Snow will continue to overspread the area
and this will bring IFR conditions at all sites during the
overnight hours...due to snow. Conditions slowly improve toward
morning as the snow tapers off to intermittent during the day and
afternoon. MVFR cigs will continue through the evening with SPI
and PIA becoming VFR toward midnight. Northwest winds will prevail
through the period. Speeds will be quite strong overnight and into
tomorrow morning, but then slow in the evening hours.

Auten

&&

.ILX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
Wind Advisory until 10 AM CDT this morning for ILZ027>031-
036>038-040>057-061>063-066>068-071>073.

Blizzard Warning until 1 PM CDT this afternoon for ILZ027-028.

Winter Weather Advisory until 1 PM CDT this afternoon for
ILZ029>031-036>038-040>042-047-048.

&&

$$