Today Sunny, with a high near 63. East southeast wind 5 to 7 mph.

Tonight A chance of showers and thunderstorms before 4am, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm between 4am and 5am, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after 5am. Increasing clouds, with a low around 51. Southeast wind 5 to 7 mph, with gusts as high as 21 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%.

Tuesday Showers and thunderstorms likely, mainly before 2pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 73. South southwest wind 7 to 13 mph, with gusts as high as 23 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%.

Tuesday Night A 40 percent chance of showers before midnight. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 53. Southwest wind around 6 mph becoming calm in the evening.

Wednesday Partly sunny, with a high near 68. Light west northwest wind.

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of southern Illinois, southwest Indiana, western Kentucky, and southeast Missouri.

Today and Tonight

Scattered thunderstorms are expected tonight. A few stronger storms could produce small hail.

Tuesday through Sunday

Isolated to scattered thunderstorms are expected Tuesday. Small hail is possible with stronger storms.

Isolated to scattered thunderstorms are possible Wednesday night through Friday. Strong storms are possible Thursday into Friday, along with brief heavy rain.

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As the holiday season approaches, New Beginnings is inviting the community to participate in a heartwarming initiative by nominating deserving seniors for the Massac Memorial Hospital Silver Bell program. This project aims to bring joy and support to isolated seniors in need.

The Silver Bell program is designed to assist seniors who meet specific criteria. Nominations are open for individuals who are low-income, living alone, and do not have active family members residing in the area. This initiative provides an opportunity for community members to ensure that these seniors do not feel forgotten during the festive season.

Interested individuals are encouraged to reach out to New Beginnings for further information and to submit nominations. For questions or to nominate a senior, please call New Beginnings at 618-524-7370.

The US government has reopened after a record 43-day shutdown, with most agencies funded until January 30th. Critical services, which saw disruptions like flight cancellations and delays in benefits, are resuming. Federal workers, who missed paychecks, are guaranteed back pay. A key healthcare subsidy extension remains unresolved, foreshadowing future budget battles.

The fate of enhanced premium tax credits—which make ACA plans more affordable—remains the key issue. The credits expire at the end of 2025. Following the shutdown, the Senate agreed to hold a December vote on an extension. Premiums for 2026 are already increasing, and Congress is divided over a clean extension versus a version with reforms.

Illinois SNAP benefits faced disruption due to the recent federal government shutdown. The IDHS is now actively restoring full Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program payments, with all 1.9 million recipients expected to receive their complete November allotments by November 20th. Attention has also turned to implementing new, stricter work requirements and immigrant eligibility changes mandated by recent federal law.