Thunderstorms and Heavy Rain Return for the Weekend

Cloud cover should break just in time for temperatures to warm into the low 70's Friday afternoon.  An incoming cold front from the northwest will bring a chance for showers, and even a few isolated thunderstorms, as early as Friday afternoon, over southwest and south-central Wisconsin and over much of northern Illinois by Friday evening.

That cold front will settle just south of the immediate Stateline Friday night and Saturday.  Scattered showers will continue into Saturday morning and early afternoon.  Low pressure moving out of the central Plains will pull the front back north as a warm front late Saturday, allowing temperatures to warm into the low to mid 70's. 


Low pressure will move through the Plains and into northeast Iowa by Saturday evening, and into southwest Wisconsin by Sunday morning.  The placement of the low, combined with the warm front, cold front and upper level winds, could be enough to get a few stronger thunderstorms to develop over the Midwest and Missouri River Valley.  The threat for strong storms even extends up into northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin.  Surface instability will lacking due to the cloud cover and rain during most of the afternoon, but winds will be very strong aloft.  And this could cause a few gustier thunderstorms to occur with the incoming cold front.  Further southwest, thunderstorms capable of damaging winds and large hail are possible. 


Heavy rainfall will also be a concern with rain totals adding up to nearly two inches in some spots.  The heavy rain late Tuesday night didn't cause too many issues with flooding.  But if an additional two inches of rain occurs over the weekend, minor flooding could become a concern.