A Cool Spell on the Way

High pressure provided the Stateline with another fabulous February day on Sunday.  There was plentiful sunshine across north central Illinois, and temperatures topped out in the low 40's.  However, there is a large area of low level stratus clouds and fog over Iowa that appears to be sliding eastward tonight.  Clear skies early tonight will give way to clouds later tonight, and there could be areas of freezing fog with a low temperature in the middle 20's.  The areas of freezing fog may persist though the morning hours, and the low clouds may linger for most of the day.  Because of the clouds and fog, temperatures will be a little lower on Monday, holding in the 30's all day.  Areas over northwestern Illinois may break out of the clouds during the afternoon, and with more sunshine, temperatures in that area could be back in the 40's once again.  It will be cloudy on  Monday night with the passage of a new Canadian cold front. No precipitation is expected overnight, but there could be a few flurries on Tuesday and Tuesday night.  It will be partly sunny on Wednesday with a high in the low 30's.  That is actually pretty close to normal for this time of year, but colder than we are used to.  Temperatures will recover a little on Thursday with the chilly Canadian high moderating as is slips southeast across the lower Mississippi valley.  It will be partly cloudy on Thursday with a high in the middle 30's.  A new Canadian cold front with modified arctic air behind it will be crossing the US/Canada border on Thursday, and pass through the Stateline around daybreak on Friday.  Once again, very little moisture will be present when the front moves across northern Illinois, so little if any precipitation is anticipated.  Flurries cannot be ruled out.  Behind the front cold air will settle into the Stateline.  Low temperatures will drop into the teens, and high temperatures will only be in the middle 20's.  That is not exceptionally cold, but it will be the coldest weather the area has experienced since the last brief cold snap back in January.  The cold high will move fairly quickly to the east, and by Sunday afternoon it will be back in the middle 30's once again.