DECATUR, Ill. (WAND) - Nothing is set in stone for severe weather come late Thursday or Thursday evening. However, anytime we have a major push of warm, humid air into the region at this time of year, you have to ask yourself, can there be severe storms? Â
First and foremost, this is not the same time of event as the Dec. 28 tornado outbreak. That said, there is tremendous wind shear available in this setup. That is a shift in wind speed with height. More of a concern is the pocket of drier air sitting above our heads at the onset of Thursday afternoon. As rain falls into this drier pocket, it will evaporate. Evaporation is a cooling process. Cool air is denser than warm air, so a downward transport of wind is possible near and in any thunderstorm during this time frame. The evaporation will enhance that downward transport, perhaps leading to damaging wind gusts in a few areas.
The best upper-level support for severe weather may swing and miss to our south, but it will certainly be worth your time to stay abreast of Thursday's changing weather.  Â
As always, stay up-to-date with the weather by downloading the WAND weather app, which has futurecast Doppler radar as well as a location tracker to give you the watches and warnings for your location. Â
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