October-Like Temperatures Ahead, Patchy Frost Possible By Weekend

Are you ready for more fall-like weather? After a comfortable day with highs in the mid 80s yesterday, a cold front swept through the region during the evening hours. You may have noticed the front moving in as cloud cover increased late in the afternoon. Behind this cold front, a much cooler air mass side in from the north, allowing for Fall-like temperatures to make a quick return to the Stateline for the end of the work week.

A Canadian high pressure system currently sitting over the Upper Midwest continues to slide in behind yesterday's cold front. Underneath this high pressure system is where you will find the "core" of this incoming cold air-mass. That's why temperatures north and west of the Stateline dropped into the 30s and 40s this morning, while our area woke up to temperatures in the 50s. Despite this morning's chilly start, the Stateline didn't see any frost develop. I know I know, it may be a bit early for that term to be put out there. But it's good to mentioned it since the area does have the potential to see some patchy front in the mornings to come. Before getting into frost potential, the rest of our Thursday features a mix of clouds and sunshine with highs in the upper 60s for most spots. Comparing that to temperatures observed yesterday, that is 10° to 20° cooler. Overall, a comfortable day for outdoor activities.

Weeks end begins with a chilly start, with most areas dropping into the mid to upper 40's. Kids heading to the bus stop, or for those heading into work, you'll definitely need to grab a jacket before heading out the door. As the cooler air continues to spill in aloft, high temperatures will only top out in the low to mid 60s, which is what we typically see on average in mid-October. Similar to today, abundant sunshine is expected for the start of the day, with a few clouds mixing in by the afternoon. 

Now, the Stateline will experience the coldest air of this stretch overnight Friday into Saturday morning. The atmosphere heading into Saturday is going to be very dry, with clear skies, and low humidity. Winds at the surface look to remain calm for the most part, or very very light out of the northeast. This will allow temperatures to rapidly drop or "bottom out" as we say into the low 40s with a spot or two finding themselves in the upper 30s. With temperatures getting that chilly, that does beg the question if the Stateline has a chance to see some patchy frost develop by Saturday morning. If any frost were to form, it won't be widespread, and it would be confined to areas such as Freeport, Beloit, and Rochelle. You'll just have to be very mindful of any tender vegetation you have. Temperatures look to remain "October"-like for Saturday afternoon, before highs slowly rise into the start of next week.