Heavy rain moves across northern Illinois Thursday afternoon

 

6PM RADAR UPDATE: The heavier rainfall has now moved out of the Stateline with only a few scattered rain showers moving through. Scattered rain will continue for the rest of the evening as temperatures continue to warm. In fact, temperatures are now warming through the low 50s. Rockford's record high temperature for the 8th of January is 55 degrees which was set back in 1965. I think we will reach that over the next couple of hours.

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Original post:

Thursday's low-pressure system is well underway across the Midwest, bringing pockets of heavy rainfall to northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin. To go along with the rain there have also been a few lightning strikes and rumbles of thunder, but no severe weather locally is expected.

The heaviest rainfall is now moving along and north of Highway 20, lifting into southern Wisconsin. Within these heavier rain bands visibility will be greatly reduced, causing impacts on the late afternoon and evening commutes.

Drier air is quickly wrapping in around the surface low, currently located near Kansas City, MO. This dry air will help shut-off the heavier rainfall within the next hour or two, but scattered showers will continue into the evening. Temperatures are currently in the mid and upper 40s, but once the rain comes to an end the strong southerly wind will help push those numbers into the 50s, possibly mid and upper 50s later this evening. Southerly winds are also expected to increase, gusting around 35 mph through the evening.