Riding the Temperature Roller Coaster

Buckle up and get ready for some hills and loops! That's right, we are about to board the Rockford Express roller coaster this weekend into next week. This pattern will be courtesy of several cold fronts associated with Canadian low pressure systems that will swing through. The first low will move through Saturday morning and bring a thin swath of light snow or a rain-snow mix through the region from 5am - 11am. The snow won't accumulate, nor will everyone see the precipitation, but the threat is there with the passage of this cold front. More importantly, the frontal passage will bring very windy conditions Saturday with gusts upwards of 40-50 MPH out of the northwest.

The frontal passage will also limit the amount of warming that takes place Saturday. We will likely struggle to reach 40° despite sunshine breaking out during the second half of the day. For Sunday, we add about 20° to our high temperatures as we soar into the lower 60's under partly cloudy skies. This warmth will be courtesy of breezy southerly winds. The warm temperatures won't last long as yet another system will swing through Sunday night and cool us back down into the 40's to begin the week.

A more significant system -- unlike the next few systems -- has its eyes set on the Stateline for Wednesday and Thursday, but the details regarding that system are still fuzzy as the forecast models are not in agreement regarding when the rain arrives and what the temperatures will do. However, there is decent confidence in rainfall on Wednesday and Thursday of next week, with thunderstorms also being a possibility.