Flood Watch in effect until midnight CST tonight... Widespread light to moderate rain with a few embedded heavy showers will affect areas west of I-57 through 8 PM...and become more scattered east of I-55 late today. Expect scattered rain showers east of I-57 into early evening. Expect additional rainfall amounts of a quarter to half inch through early evening west of I-57 with local half to 1 inch amounts possible. This will lead to some ponding of water on roadways with minor flooding possible in low lying and poor drainage areas.
Forecast for Champaign
Updated: 11:11 am CST on December 24, 2009
Flood Watch in effect through this evening...
Rest of Today
Rain. Rain may be heavy at times. Highs in the mid 40s. Windy. East winds 20 to 25 mph with gusts of 35 to 40 mph. Chance of precipitation near 100 percent.
Rain. Rain may be heavy at times in the evening. Near steady temperature in the lower 40s. Windy. East winds 20 to 25 mph with gusts to around 40 mph. Chance of precipitation near 100 percent.
Christmas Day
Cloudy. Chance of rain or snow in the morning. Highs in the lower 40s. Temperature falling into the 30s in the afternoon. Windy. South winds 20 to 25 mph with gusts to around 35 mph. Chance of precipitation 40 percent.
Friday Night
Blustery...colder. Cloudy with a 40 percent chance of snow showers. Lows in the lower 20s. South winds 20 to 25 mph.
Saturday
Blustery...colder. Cloudy with a 50 percent chance of snow showers. Highs in the upper 20s. Southwest winds 20 to 25 mph.
... Flood Watch remains in effect through this evening...
The Flood Watch continues for
* portions of central Illinois... east central Illinois and southeast Illinois... including the following areas... in central Illinois... Cass... Christian... De Witt... Fulton... Knox... Logan... Macon... Marshall... Mason... McLean... Menard... Morgan... Moultrie... Peoria... Piatt... Sangamon... Schuyler... Scott... Shelby... Stark... Tazewell and Woodford. In east central Illinois... Champaign... Clark... Coles... Cumberland... Douglas... Edgar and Vermilion. In southeast Illinois... Clay... Crawford... Effingham... Jasper... Lawrence and Richland.
* Through this evening
* expect periods of moderate to locally heavy rainfall with isolated thunderstorms. Rainfall amounts of 2 to 3 inches will be possible... with some locally higher amounts.
* The latest soil temperatures across central Illinois indicate the frost depth at between 3 to 5 inches. The combination of the expected rainfall coupled with the frozen topsoil will help to produce significant runoff into area rivers... creeks and streams.
Precautionary/preparedness actions...
A Flood Watch means there is a potential for flooding based on current forecasts.
You should monitor later forecasts and be alert for possible flood warnings. Those living in areas prone to flooding should be prepared to take action should flooding develop.
Record Report
Statement as of 04:43 PM CST on December 23, 2009
... Record daily maximum rainfall set at Springfield IL...
a record rainfall of 1.28 inch(es) was set at Springfield IL today. This breaks the old record of 1.06 set in 1921.