Spring like temperatures continue into the middle of the week

Over the past week we've seen temperatures consistently above average for the last 6 days and this trend only looks to continue with temperatures into the 60's likely! This has been happily welcomed for us across the region as the end of January was quite the opposite. Today will be very similar to yesterday however thanks to consistent sunshine we will see our temperatures rise into the upper 50's this afternoon!

Into the next three days temperatures only look to rise as continued sunshine into tomorrow will allow us to make a run at our first 60° day of the year with similar chances likely into Wednesday. We will experience a brief cooldown though on Tuesday as our next low-pressure system tracks through. As of now the warm front with this system looks to stay just off to our south keeping us in the 50's, but along and ahead of the warm front rain showers will be possible late Tuesday and into Wednesday morning. This warm front will then lift to our north into Wednesday bringing temperatures back near 60° once again!

As we move into the end of the week another low-pressure system will develop to our west on Thursday however with this system looks to track overhead or just to our south allowing for colder air to move in behind. Behind this system temperatures are expected to drop back near average and possibly slightly below average back into the 30's. Unfortunately, this "False Spring" we've had looks to end by the end of the week. 

More mild days ahead, including record warmth

 It was another mild day Saturday with filtered sunshine as temperatures reached into the low 50s for most. Clouds will thin out overnight, allowing sunshine to dominate the sky for Sunday afternoon. Temperatures will soar well into the 50s as a result. Our forecast high is 57 for Sunday afternoon. This comes despite a Northwest wind, due to the broad region of milder air stretching all the way into the Northern Plains.

Monday will see another upward swing in temperatures with a more Southwest wind, pushing afternoon highs near 60 degrees for many! Rockford is likely to break a record high as the current record is 57 degrees, set back in 1921.

A cold front Monday evening will bring us back into the 30s for Tuesday morning, and the position of the front will play a huge role in temperature for Tuesday afternoon. If the front remains South of the area, we could realistically stay in the 40s all afternoon. If the front surges well North of us, 60s would be possible. For now, I think the front will not lift through the area until late evening, which may keep us in the low 50s or cooler through the evening.

A strong surface low pressure system will develop along that front, sliding our way and North of the area Tuesday into Wednesday. This will bring scattered rain showers our direction Tuesday evening into Wednesday morning before drier air wraps in Wednesday afternoon. All told, a few spots may be able to pick up a couple tenths of an inch of rain, but the steadiest precipitation will remain mostly North of the area. Another system will follow on the heels of this one, arriving Thursday evening.

Warm temperatures continue into Valentine's Day weekend

 

Our comfortable stretch of upper 40's and 50's looks to continue as we head through today and into next week! Above average temperatures look to stick around not only through the week but even into the middle of next week. For those heading out for Valentine's Day today you won't need to bundle up much thanks to temperatures reaching into the low to mid 40's today!

Temperatures only look to rise the next two days as well as plenty of sunshine sticking around the next couple of days. It'll be a great weekend to get outside enjoy a walk or run or maybe even start on some very early season yard work!

Heading into the middle of the week, precipitation chances will become a bit higher especially towards Tuesday night as our next low-pressure system tracks through. With this low-pressure system, a warm front will accompany which depending on how north this front lifts, we may see slightly cooler temperatures Tuesday. However, that won't last long as on Wednesday we may make a run at our first 60° day of the year!

Patchy fog and frost tonight, warming back up for Valentine's Day

 Temperatures will fall off quickly Friday evening as the sun sets, reaching down into the 30s and 40s before 7PM. By overnight, we will dip into the upper 20s. A clear sky and light wind will allow for some patches of frost and fog to develop. Locally, fog will not be dense, but visibility could be temporarily limited for some isolated spots into Saturday morning.

Clouds will gradually thicken up through the morning on Saturday, which could prevent temperatures from reaching quite as far as they did on Friday. Afternoon highs are still expected to push into the low 50s, well above average for this time of year. Any Valentine's Day plans will not be impacted by the weather, as we will remain quiet and mild into the evening.

We will remain dry locally through the weekend, but Central Illinois could see some steady rain showers Saturday afternoon and evening. The clouds from that system will work overhead but will not produce any rain. Highs will reach the mid-50s again Sunday and upper 50s Monday.

Northern Illinois set to see 50° weather after month-long pause

Taste of Spring:  

A month-long drought of  50° weather comes to an end for Rockford today as temperatures finally climb back into spring-like territory. 

Lots of sun and a light southwesterly breeze will help with today's significant warm up, pushing afternoon highs into the low 50s. Compared to mid-February standards, today's high of 52° lands exactly 20° above average. All remains quiet into Saturday as lows fall into the low 20s under a partly cloudy sky. 

Weekend Forecast: 

This taste of spring will linger into Valentine's Day weekend as both Saturday and Sunday will see highs land in the low 50s. The difference, we'll see a bit more cloud cover Saturday, especially late as an area of low pressure tracks to our south. 

  

Warmth Next Week: 

President's day will be nice as a ridge of high pressure aloft sits overhead. This will guarantee us sunshine as well as temperatures near the 60° mark. 

After that, the forecast gets a little tricky as forecast models Thursday night and this morning disagree on the track of a surface low and it's warm front. The European model (EURO) brings the surface low into central Illinois, leaving winds here in the Stateline out of the east and northeast. Temperature-wise, this results in a much cooler outlook with highs dropping back into the 40s. 

The American model (GFS) lifted the surface low into Wisconsin which also brings the warm front north. The southwesterly flow that results would help keep this 50° stretch into the middle of next week with the potential for 60s Wednesday. We'll see how the forecast trends over the weekend but for the time being, 50s are likely into President's Day.   

Dry pattern continues through weekend, turning active next week

 The mild pattern will persist through much of the next week, with several days seeing high temperatures reach into the 50s! But that does not come with many chances for precipitation until we get into the middle of next week, when a more active pattern gets started. Little to no precipitation is expected through early next Tuesday.

A series of low-pressure systems will pass through the region beginning mid-week, with the first arriving Tuesday night into Wednesday. This will bring some widespread rain, with most of the accumulating precipitation tracking just North of the area. The next system will arrive between Thursday and Friday, which could bring a chance for a wintry mix with some colder air tracking in with it.

In general, the pattern looks to stay active with a greater chance to see above average precipitation into the end of February. This outlook from the Climate Prediction Center gives us a slight lean toward seeing more precipitation than normal between the 18th and 22nd of February.

Love is in the air… and so is spring: Northern Illinois warms up for valentine’s weekend

Thursday's Forecast: 

Thursday starts with cloud cover as a weak system tracks across the Midwest. Forecast models remained consistent over the past few days, leaving the highest precipitation chance to our west and southwest across eastern Iowa and western Illinois. Cloud cover will then gradually decrease after midday, giving us some afternoon sunshine. That, along with a southeasterly wind will result in Rockford's fourth consecutive day with afternoon highs in the 40s.  

"False Spring Arrives": 

From there, "false spring continues". So much so that we enter a territory that we haven't entered since the middle of January, the 50s. The combination of partial sunshine and a light southwesterly wind will push highs in the low 50s Friday afternoon. Overnight lows will also trend upward, dropping into the upper 20s tonight, then low 30s Friday night. 

Valentine's Day/President's Day weekend will also be spent in the 50s, though clouds will increase Saturday night into Sunday as an area of low pressure slides to our south. Considering how far south the track of the surface low has trended, rain chances this weekend remain very low. Hopping back into the temperature discussion, Saturday and Sunday's high of 53° lands exactly 20° above mid-February standards.

Warmth Continues: 

A secondary and slightly more potent storm system aims to lift into the central plains Monday. In doing so, it will drag a warm front through the region, allowing "false spring" to continue. Afternoon highs for the first half of the week will also end up 20° above average in the low 50s. Wednesday's warm up will mainly depend on the low's placement as it moves across the western Great Lakes.