Marine Weather and Tide Forecast for Evanston, IL

DISCUSSION
Issued at 113 PM CDT Wed Mar 18 2026

Another weak clipper system will move southeast across the region late tonight into Thursday morning bringing a chance of rain showers. Much of the guidance is trending drier with really only the HRRR showing several hours of showers moving through the area around and after daybreak Thursday morning. Quite a bit of dry air in the low levels that any precipitation would have to overcome and given these trends have lowered pops some and also adjusted timing later with pops continuing across northwest IN through late Thursday morning. Temps will likely drop into the lower 30s, possibly upper 20s over the deeper snowpack areas, this evening and then slowly rise through the overnight hours. However, confidence is low for temp trends tonight into Thursday morning and if rain showers do develop, there will be a low chance for freezing rain and this will need to be monitored later this evening into the overnight hours. Currently, do not have any freezing rain mention during this time period.

Temps begin to warm into the 50s for most of the area Thursday, though easterly winds will keep the lakeshore areas and far northeast IL cooler. A lake breeze may move inland Thursday afternoon, spreading the cooler air further inland.

Southwest winds on Friday will allow warmer temps all the way to the lakeshore with 60s across northern IL and lower 70s across central IL. A cold front is expected to move south across the area Friday afternoon into Friday evening with uncertainty for timing. When it does, there will be a large temperature drop for the lakeshore areas. Winds shift back around to the southwest on Saturday with highs back into the upper 60s/lower 70s for much of the area.

Another stronger cold front is expected to move across the area on Sunday and there remains quite a bit of uncertainty for its timing/location. There seems to be a slowly increasing consensus for the cold front to be moving through the local area Sunday morning, which would allow for much cooler temps (40s) across the northern cwa/lake shore and then quite warm temps (60s/70s)
across the south. Only change to the blended grids was to lower temps for the lakeshore areas given the increasing chances for onshore winds for much of Sunday. There is also a low chance for a few showers with this front on Sunday. Dry weather is expected early next week. cms

AVIATION /06Z TAFS THROUGH 12Z FRIDAY/
Issued at 1234 AM CDT Thu Mar 19 2026

There are no significant aviation forecast concerns for the current TAF period.

Still couldn't rule out a brief period of sprinkles occurring prior to daybreak as an upper-level disturbance passes by, but at this time, it appears that most or all of the precipitation associated with this disturbance should remain northeast of the terminals.

Winds should largely remain under 10 kts through the TAF period, though they will take on a variety of directions -- likely carrying an easterly component during the daytime today before turning more southerly/southwesterly after sunset. VFR conditions are expected through the TAF period.

Ogorek

LOT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
IL...None.
IN...None.
LM...None.