Marine Weather and Tide Forecast for Elsah, IL

SHORT TERM
(Through Late Friday Night)
Issued at 117 PM CDT Thu Mar 12 2026

The forecast for tonight includes increasing winds as a low pressure system moves from the Dakotas into the Great Lakes region. Expect winds to increase from the south and southwest to 15-30 mph, with gusts to 45 mph. The HRRR mean 10m wind gusts increase to over 40 mph after 8 pm, peaking around midnight tonight. Winds decrease late in the night/early tomorrow morning.

Temperatures will not fall much tonight given the relatively warm south to southwesterly winds ahead of the cold front. The front will pass through the area late tonight and into Friday morning.
However, temperatures will rebound back into the 50s and 60s on tomorrow. High pressure will then settle into the area for Friday night.

WFO ILX

LONG TERM
(Saturday through Next Thursday)
Issued at 117 PM CDT Thu Mar 12 2026

A warm front will lift north across the area on Saturday ahead of a low pressure system moving out of the Rockies and into the Central Plains. Expecting highs in the 60s across much of the area on both Saturday and Sunday ahead of the low as it moves out of the plains and across MO. This is a strong system with a deep upper trough and a strong temperature gradient at the surface.
Expect a chance for severe storms on Sunday afternoon with the best chance south of St Louis. However, the timing and exact track of this system will likely fluctuate a bit as we are still four days out. Potential exists for CAPEs and 0-6km shear appear to be in the 500-1000J/kg and 50-60kt ranges, respectively.

After the cold frost pushes through on Sunday afternoon/evening, expect rain to change to snow, with light accumulations possible.
(Generally thinking an inch or two of snow right now.) Gusty northwest winds of 20-30 mph with gusts to 40 mph are expected on Monday, with wind chills in the single digits (both above and below zero). Monday will feel like a change back to winter with some snow accumulations and relatively cold wind chills.

High pressure will move into the area by mid week, with a slow warm up expected. A return to 60s and 70s is expected by Thursday.

WFO ILX

AVIATION
(For the 00z TAFs through 00z Friday Evening)
Issued at 627 PM CDT Thu Mar 12 2026

Winds will increase overnight and gradually veer with time. There remains concerns with LLWS, though mainly at KSUS/KCPS where surface winds will be lighter. Did add LLWS mention overnight tonight into early Friday morning at these terminals. Elsewhere, gusts should stay largely over 20 knots so kept mention out.
A cold front will move through from west to east late tonight/Friday morning, with winds veering to the northwest behind the front. By Friday afternoon, look for northwest winds to weaken and gusts to diminish.

Gosselin

LSX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
MO...Wind Advisory from 10 PM this evening to 11 AM CDT Friday for Knox MO-Lewis MO-Marion MO-Shelby MO.

Wind Advisory from 10 PM this evening to 6 AM CDT Friday for Audrain MO-Boone MO-Callaway MO-Cole MO-Lincoln MO-Moniteau MO-Monroe MO-Montgomery MO-Pike MO-Ralls MO.

IL...Wind Advisory from 10 PM this evening to 11 AM CDT Friday for Adams IL-Brown IL-Calhoun IL-Fayette IL-Greene IL-Jersey IL- Macoupin IL-Montgomery IL-Pike IL.