Morning Clouds Give Way to Afternoon Sunshine, Remaining Comfortable into Friday

As I was making my way home from Pennsylvania yesterday, the thermometer in my car just kept going up and up as I approached the Stateline. Honestly, I wasn't surprised. Yesterday ended up being the hottest day of the year so far as a high of 95 degrees was observed at the airport.

But it definitely felt hotter, as heat indices were above the 100° mark for multiple hours of the afternoon. This is the first day that Rockford has observed a high at or above 95° since July 20th of last year, a span that lasted 373 days. Fortunately, we aren't going to feel that oppressively humid and hot for the days to come, as a more comfortable pattern settles in.

For those heading out the door this morning, you'll be greeted to mostly cloudy skies and a warm start. Temperatures, ahead of an approaching cold front, are starting out in the 70s. As this cold front marches through during the mid-late afternoon hours, there will be enough lift for a pop-up thunderstorm or two early on.

Otherwise, this frontal boundary will help clear out this morning's cloud cover. I do think we hold onto these pesky clouds into the late morning hours, but we should really start to see sunshine fill our skies by this afternoon. Temperatures today, also because of the front, will be about 5° to 10° cooler than yesterday, in the low 80s. Tonight will also be quiet, under a mostly clear sky. Temperatures look to drop into the low 60s by tomorrow morning, which is seasonable for this time of year.

So, if you're like me and are sick and tired of this hot and humid weather, I've got some good news. A pair of cold fronts will help keep the comfortable weather around for the final days of July. The cold front passing through the region today will keep highs in the low 80s for the start of the week, with dew points in the low 60s. The only day that humidity could be an issue is Wednesday, as dew points climb into the upper 60s ahead of the second cold front. But once that cold front swings through, the humidity drops yet again for the second half of the work week. Even possibility dropping into the upper 50s for Friday.