Before we jump into what we can expect with today's storm activity, here is a crazy statistic involving Rockford's rainfall this year. So far this year, Rockford
has picked up 41.58" of rainfall. The normal for the entire year is 36.24". What does all this mean? If no more rain fell from now until the end of 2019, Rockford would still finish the year more than 5" above normal for precipitation. At this very moment in time, 2019 is set to go down as the 4th wettest year on record. With that being said, of course there will be more rain this year. And that all begins with what we can see through the day today.
As you were sleeping, a warm frontal boundary progressed through the Stateline and is now sitting in southern Wisconsin. You can already tell the difference it has made to our surroundings outside. Temperatures dropped into the upper 50s overnight and have already started to slowly rise. Winds have become a little bit breezier as well and have shifted to a more southerly direction. The return of southerly winds will help pull in moisture northward into
northern Illinois. Scattered showers with a few
isolated thunderstorms will be possible during the morning, but should
pick up a little more late morning and early afternoon. Whether you are heading to work this morning, or going to school, plan on grabbing the rain gear before heading out the door.
Taking a glance at radar this morning, a few isolated showers have already formed behind the frontal boundary. However, the air at the surface is very dry as dew points remain in the upper 40s. So much of what is on radar is most likely not reaching the ground. Activity should remain scattered during the morning commute. Once we get enough moisture in the air, rain will become more widespread and heavier as we approach the mid to late morning hours. This is the first wave.
There will be a lull in the thunderstorm activity for a few hours this afternoon before the second wave arrives. A gradual uptick in storm coverage is expected after 4pm. A strong cold front to the northwest will begin to slowly inch
its way southeast towards the Stateline this evening. Thunderstorms
are expected to develop along and ahead of the front between 5pm and 10pm. As Candice mentioned in her post yesterday, storms initially will most likely run parallel to the cold front which will lead to possibly very heavy rainfall. The heaviest of the rain should remain to the south. Overall, totals across the Stateline could range between 1-3" by tonight so be on the lookout for flash flooding. Remember to Turn Around, Don't Drown.
Another thing to keep in mind is that there could be strong to severe thunderstorms along the cold front as it pushes through later today. These storms will not only pose a threat for heavy rain, but also gusty winds and large hail. For that reason, the Storm Prediction Center continues to leave much of the Stateline under a Slight Risk (level 2 of 5) for strong to
severe storms. This leaves our counties in southern Wisconsin counties under a Marginal Risk (level 1 of 5).
If
you're heading out later today say to the last City Market of the year, or to any high school football games. Please make sure you have a way of receiving
weather alerts on your phone and stay updated with the latest weather
information, and know where to shelter should strong storms threaten
your location. If you are staying in for the evening, have those weather radios prepped and ready to go.
As you were sleeping, a warm frontal boundary progressed through the Stateline and is now sitting in southern Wisconsin. You can already tell the difference it has made to our surroundings outside. Temperatures dropped into the upper 50s overnight and have already started to slowly rise. Winds have become a little bit breezier as well and have shifted to a more southerly direction. The return of southerly winds will help pull in moisture northward into
northern Illinois. Scattered showers with a few
isolated thunderstorms will be possible during the morning, but should
pick up a little more late morning and early afternoon. Whether you are heading to work this morning, or going to school, plan on grabbing the rain gear before heading out the door.
Taking a glance at radar this morning, a few isolated showers have already formed behind the frontal boundary. However, the air at the surface is very dry as dew points remain in the upper 40s. So much of what is on radar is most likely not reaching the ground. Activity should remain scattered during the morning commute. Once we get enough moisture in the air, rain will become more widespread and heavier as we approach the mid to late morning hours. This is the first wave. 
There will be a lull in the thunderstorm activity for a few hours this afternoon before the second wave arrives. A gradual uptick in storm coverage is expected after 4pm. A strong cold front to the northwest will begin to slowly inch
its way southeast towards the Stateline this evening. Thunderstorms
are expected to develop along and ahead of the front between 5pm and 10pm. As Candice mentioned in her post yesterday, storms initially will most likely run parallel to the cold front which will lead to possibly very heavy rainfall. The heaviest of the rain should remain to the south. Overall, totals across the Stateline could range between 1-3" by tonight so be on the lookout for flash flooding. Remember to Turn Around, Don't Drown.
Another thing to keep in mind is that there could be strong to severe thunderstorms along the cold front as it pushes through later today. These storms will not only pose a threat for heavy rain, but also gusty winds and large hail. For that reason, the Storm Prediction Center continues to leave much of the Stateline under a Slight Risk (level 2 of 5) for strong to
severe storms. This leaves our counties in southern Wisconsin counties under a Marginal Risk (level 1 of 5).
No comments:
Post a Comment