Friday, April 17, 2020

Warmer and (Somewhat) Drier This Weekend


After receiving three inches of snowfall on Friday morning in Rockford, setting the record for the snowiest April 17th , a drastic warmup is expected this weekend.






By early Saturday morning, a large high pressure system will have situated itself to our south over the Missouri Valley. Simultaneously, a strong are of low pressure will be centered over west-central Ontario. As a result, a tight pressure gradient will form over much of the Midwest, including northern Illinois. This will produce strong southwesterly winds through the day on Saturday resulting in strong warm air advection. Temperatures on Saturday are forecast to reach the upper 50’s by the mid-afternoon. The continental tropical air mass will dry out the atmosphere enough to expect only light cloud cover overhead meaning plenty of sunshine and no rain or snow are expected on Saturday.
A weak cold frontal boundary extending from the previously mentioned low pressure system will approach late Saturday evening. As it moves over the Stateline overnight and into early Sunday morning, a chance for rain is expected in the predawn hours of Sunday and through the early afternoon. An approaching high pressure system from our northwest following the frontal passage should clear up most of the cloud cover shortly after the chance for rain recedes. With the passage of a weak cold front and mostly cloudy skies in through the morning has us expecting temperatures to be a couple of degrees cooler than on Saturday but still climbing into the middle to upper 50’s through most of the area.

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