Cooler and Wintry Pattern Sets in for the End of October, Beginning of November

We all knew the four letter 'S' word was coming sooner or later at some point this Fall season. As we close out the last few days of October and welcome in the month of November, quite the chill will grip most of the country. And that chill could very well lead to our first snowflakes of the season falling very soon.

Following heavy rainfall Saturday afternoon and evening, the sunny skies Sunday and temperatures near 60 degrees were quite the

treat! A cold front, however, looms just to the west and will usher in cooler air not only for tonight, but also for the remainder of the week. Skies will remain mostly clear through the early overnight, but as a cold front passes late Sunday night skies will turn mostly cloudy heading into Monday morning. Temperatures, as a result, will be about 10-15 degrees cooler than they were on Sunday.

The cold front will settle downstate and become the focus for an unsettled weather pattern for most of northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin this week. The first round of precipitation will arrive during the afternoon and evening Monday, falling as mostly rain as temperatures remain above freezing. As forcing increases in the atmosphere Monday

evening/night, a mix or even transition over to snow will be possible from Wisconsin, stretching down through northwest Illinois. Slushy accumulations are possible through Tuesday morning, but shouldn't have too much of an impact on roads during the morning. Skies will quickly dry out Tuesday before another, and possibly stronger, system moves through Wednesday - Friday morning. This system may have a little more moisture with it as it lifts north from the Gulf. Initially temperatures should be warm enough to support mostly rain during the day, but late evening and overnight is when the chance for a mix will be likely. This will occur late Tuesday night and then again Wednesday night. 

Low pressure strengthens during the day Thursday as it passes to our southeast Thursday night. A band of heavy precipitation may develop right over northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin heading into Friday morning. If temperatures are cold enough, we could see the precipitation changeover to accumulating snow during that time. It's still way too early to get into specifics, but this storm system definitely has caught our attention - and it should yours too. We just first have to get through out first round of wintry weather before worrying about later this week.