The weather ingredients are coming together for possibly some significant rainfall. A cold front will sag into Illinois and become stationary by tonight and then move very little the remainder of the week. Additionally, the remnants of Tropical Storm Gordon will move into our region by Friday night/Saturday, and these two systems will combine forces to produce an extended period of rain and thunderstorms and locally heavy rain for central Illinois.
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Scattered showers and storms will develop later today with more scattered showers and storms on Thursday, but the rain really starts to ramp up on Friday and Saturday as moisture from Gordon gets involved.
At the present time, forecast models are indicating rainfall totals between 3 to 6 inches are possible with the heaviest rain slated to move in late Friday into Saturday. Localized flooding is a concern especially in low-lying areas and flood prone locations close to rivers and streams. All the rain should finally come to an end by Sunday evening with sunshine and dry skies returning on Monday.