Bundle up! Coldest afternoon since late-February

February 19th. That was the last time Rockford saw afternoon highs fail to reach the 15° mark. In fact, the observed high that day was 11° which is going to how cold we will be this afternoon. 

 

 

  

Thanks to the radiational cooling process, the day for most begins in the single-digits. Wind chills however are sitting below zero for some. Pack those layers if you are heading out this morning. 

As previously mentioned, afternoon highs will barely make it out of the single-digits. On the flip side, high pressure overhead will make for less cloud cover and more sunshine. Again, the main priority weather-wise will be getting prepared for this Arctic chill.

Another bitterly cold night lies ahead. However, the coldest part will be this evening. Once this area of high pressure is positioned to our east over the Ohio Valley, surface winds will take a turn to the south and southwest. This will allow our temperatures to slowly climb as we get into Friday morning. Wind chills will also be at their lowest during the evening, gradually climbing towards the 0° mark.  

 

High temperatures Friday are expected to peak in the low 20s ahead of our next cold front. Forecast models bring said cold front in Saturday morning, setting the stage for more cold over the weekend. 

 

 

  

Afternoon highs will remain the 20s, dipping into the teens Saturday night and then into the single digits Sunday night. Also coming in will be our next storm system which will track in in a very "clipper-like" way Saturday evening into Sunday. With the cold in place, this would favor another opportunity for the Stateline to see wintry precipitation. Unlike the winter storm from last weekend, the axis of heavier snow will be to the southwest of the region.