
Drought Persists Across Much Of The U.S.
Drought conditions expanded again this week, with more than 100 million people now living in areas experiencing drought.
# HEADLINE -------------------- HEAT ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 PM CDT /11 PM EDT/ THIS EVENING # DETAILS -------------------- WHAT Peak heat index values this afternoon of 100 to locally 110 degrees. WHERE Portions of central, east central, north central, and northeast Illinois and northwest Indiana. WHEN Until 10 PM CDT /11 PM EDT/ this evening. IMPACTS Hot temperatures and high humidity may cause heat illnesses especially after several days of dangerous heat. ISSUED AT Friday, September 4, 2026 at 11:48 AM CDT ISSUED BY National Weather Service Chicago IL HEADER URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE # PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS -------------------- Consider altering outdoor plans. If outdoors for prolonged periods of time, wear lightweight and loose fitting clothing. Take action when you see symptoms of heat exhaustion and heat stroke. # AREAS AFFECTED -------------------- Kankakee, Southern Will, Benton, De Kalb, DuPage, Eastern Will, Ford, Grundy, Iroquois, Jasper, Kane, Kendall, La Salle, Lake IN, Lee, Livingston, Newton, Northern Will, Ogle, Porter, Southern Cook, Winnebago Including the cities of Minooka, Valparaiso, Fairbury, Plainfield, Manhattan, Hammond, Dixon, Marseilles, Wheaton, Yorkville, Plano, Mendota, Joliet, Oxford, Bourbonnais, Bradley, La Salle, Mokena, Crete, Lemont, Gary, Fowler, Carol Stream, Watseka, Beecher, Park Forest, Oak Forest, Sycamore, Ottawa, Gilman, Chesterton, Morris, Dwight, Peotone, Naperville, Kankakee, Downers Grove, Orland Park, Rensselaer, Rockford, DeMotte, Rochelle, Streator, Lombard, Portage, Calumet City, Bolingbrook, Paxton, Merrillville, Kentland, Oswego, Roselawn, Pontiac, DeKalb, Gibson City, Elgin, Morocco, Oregon, Wilmington, Coal City, Aurora, Byron, and Channahon
There is a Marginal Severe Storm Risk for your location. Continue reading for today's outlook from the National Weather Service's Storm Prediction Center. -------------------- National Severe Storm Outlook THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS FROM THE SOUTHERN GREAT LAKES INTO THE MID-ATLANTIC STATES SUMMARY A couple of organized thunderstorm clusters are expected to develop across the southern Great Lakes and mid/upper Ohio Valley through tonight, accompanied by the risk for damaging wind gusts. More widely scattered strong thunderstorms east of the Blue Ridge may also produce damaging wind gusts this evening. 20Z Update The northern portion of the Marginal Risk was expanded westward into portions of northeastern Iowa to account for recent convective development associated with a mid-level perturbation visible on water vapor satellite imagery. An unstable airmass and modest deep-layer shear will support loosely organized convection, capable of producing isolated occurrences of 60 MPH winds and 1-inch hail. Elsewhere, the western portion of the Slight Risk area was expanded across Illinois, Indiana, and portions of Ohio, where thunderstorms have developed along a surface boundary and may pose an increased threat for 55-70 MPH wind gusts and 1-inch hail. See MCDs #2234 and #2235 for more detail. Further downstream across North Carolina, the severe wind probabilities were extended southward to account for recent convective trends. A corridor of higher wind probabilities was considered across portions of Virginia, but uncertainty in the longevity of the convection moving across the Appalachians and overall convective organization precluded adding additional highlights at this time. The 30% wind threat area is expected to see convective development later this evening, as storms move from the Great Lakes into the region. There is some uncertainty in the northward extent of the area owing to the drop off in buoyancy, but continued spread in the high-resolution forecast guidance regarding the timing and placement of convection precludes additional adjustments at this time. Convection is also anticipated to develop across portions of north-central Nebraska into South Dakota during the early morning hours. These storms could produce isolated occurrences of hail, though uncertainty in the timing of convective initiation and maturation suggests this will primarily pose a threat in the Day 2 time frame.
Pollen Index: 10.8 Pollen Level: high Predominant Pollen: Ragweed, Chenopods and Nettle. The amount of pollen in the air for Saturday will not change appreciably and will remain in the very high range. This lack of change in airborne pollen will continue to affect those who suffer from allergies and those who live with the allergy sufferers.











