First Weekend of May Features Warmer Than Average Highs

Yesterday's sunshine was a perfect way to cap a cloudy month of April. Altogether, 77% of the days in April recorded partly cloudy to cloudy skies, in which the average cloud cover for the day was 40% or higher. This left the remaining 7 days of the month with sunny to mostly sunny skies. Despite the gusty winds, the abundance of sunshine yesterday allowed for temperatures to rise into the upper 60s for highs. Similar weather conditions will be experienced today, just with a little bit more cloud cover.

The first morning of May started off with plenty of sunshine, and it's all thanks to the dome of high pressure that is currently sitting overhead. You'll also notice that it is a less windy out there this morning, and that's because you can usually find much calmer winds underneath an area of high pressure. Today features yet another afternoon with spring-like temperatures, as highs will once again top out in the upper 60s.

This morning's sunshine will give way to an increase in cloud cover, especially during the afternoon hours. An upper-level disturbance that is currently located over the Dakotas is going to race eastward through the day thanks to the overall zonal flow. Ahead of an approaching warm front, light winds out of the southeast will bring additional moisture to the Stateline. This could lead to an isolated shower or two this afternoon, mainly between 2-5 PM. So don't be surprised if you see a few raindrops splash on your windshield if your traveling late this afternoon into the early evening. But many dry hours are in store for our day today, and over the weekend as well.

As this disturbance lifts into the southern Canadian prairies, this warm frontal boundary will slide through by tomorrow morning. Behind this frontal boundary, a surge of warm air that will bring up our highs into the low 70s both Saturday and Sunday. Mostly dry conditions are ahead for Saturday, but another quickly moving disturbance is going to bring in a few more clouds and a very small chance of an isolated shower during the afternoon.

Better chances for rain arrive overnight Saturday night into Sunday, mainly for areas south of the I-80 corridor. The northern branch of the jet looks to sink down into central Illinois, which will allow yet another weak disturbance to track through the state.We may be talking about another small chance for a shower going into Sunday, but many dry hours are promised for the end of the weekend. With that said, the next few days allow for many opportunities to get outside, grab some fresh air, and enjoy some outdoor activities. Take advantage of as much of the forecast as you can, because an unsettled and chillier pattern arrives for the first half of next week. Have a great weekend everyone!