Temperatures on Saturday only reached 50° in Rockford, with many locations staying in the upper 40's. A fresh surge of arctic air from Canada, strong northwesterly winds, plenty of cloud cover, and a dry air mass in place can all be blamed for the cold day. However, the coldest of the air will move in Saturday night as the heart of the upper-level low sits over the Great Lakes. Temperatures, under a clear sky (clearing skies shown to the left), will have no problem falling into the lower to middle 30's. The locations with the best threat of seeing lower 30's are areas outside of city centers, as well as valleys.
With temperatures expected to drop into the 31°-36° range, the National Weather Service has went ahead and issued a Frost Advisory for the entire area. That means any tender plants or vegetation you may have needs to be covered or brought inside as frost can kill certain plants. Not only that, but the heat may be needed tonight, in addition to a few extra blankets on the bed! Despite the calendar saying mid-May, it feels like mid-March.
This cold may seem abnormal for this time of year -- and it is, to an extent. However, Rockford's average last frost occurs on May 13th. Thus, we are only going to be a day later than average, which is actually not that much of a stretch. Regardless, it will be unseasonably cold and frosty tonight with a cold air mass in place. In fact, if temperatures can fall to 31° in Rockford, we will tie the coldest temperature ever recorded for the day -- a record set all the way back in 1926!
No comments:
Post a Comment