Severe Thunderstorms and Heavy Rain in the Central Plains; Dry Thunderstorms and Critical Fire Weather in the West

Severe thunderstorms and heavy rain may produce large to very-large hail, severe winds, tornadoes and numerous instances of flash flooding across portions of the central Plains. Scattered slow-moving storms will continue to bring a flash flooding threat to the central Gulf Coast. Elevated to critical fire weather conditions are expected across much of the western U.S.. Read More >

The National Weather Service Chicago Office is responsible for providing fire weather forecasts for Northern Illinois and Northwest Indiana. The fire weather service program provides forecast and warning services for the prevention, suppression, and management of forest and rangeland fires.

NWS Chicago issues a daily narrative fire weather forecast each morning by 6 AM Central time. During the spring and fall, this forecast product is also updated during the late morning and again during the mid-late afternoon. This forecast consists of a brief weather discussion and a detailed 48-hour forecast of weather, temperatures, relative humidity, winds, and smoke dispersion parameters.

Fire Weather Forecast Information:

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2026 Annual Operating Plan, click here.

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Severe Thunderstorms and Heavy Rain in the Central Plains; Dry Thunderstorms and Critical Fire Weather in the West

Fire Weather Forecast Information for northern Illinois and northwest Indiana