Meteorological Fall Ends on Cold Note, Wind Chills in the Teens

Sunday's cold front brought us back to reality, as the coldest air of the season (so far) filters in right before the official start of Meteorological Winter. For those that are getting back into their normal routines, they'll need to layer up before beginning the upcoming school or work week. 

Gusty northwesterly winds behind the front helped pull in that very cold air mass overnight, allowing temperatures to sink into the upper 20s and low 30s this morning. Wind chills dropped into the teens at times over far northwest Illinois, with the rest of the region sitting in the low 20s. Before stepping out the door, don't forget to put on your winter jacket, as well as your hat, gloves, and scarf to stay warm.

Cloud cover Monday morning remains thick and widespread, as a vast amount of moisture continues to pivot around a strong mid-latitude cyclone that's currently over the Tennessee Valley. In addition to this morning's cloud cover, I wouldn't be surprised if you encountered a few snowflakes during your morning travels. Thankfully, these flurries/light snow showers should come to an end by the late morning hours, as conditions become much drier by the afternoon. As an area of high pressure approaches, skies will gradually clear, leading to some sunshine before days end.

In spite of increasingly sunny skies, high temperatures to kick off the work week will  struggle to climb much above freezing. In addition to the below average highs, northwest winds will continue to remain strong into the afternoon, gusting up to 25-30 mph. Winds these strong will make traveling difficult for some, especially on north and south roadways. So if you're planning to travel today, be sure to take extra caution. These winds will ease up a bit by Monday evening, but a lingering breeze overnight will help wind chills fall back into the upper teens by Tuesday morning. With that being said, place your heavier coat somewhere where it will be easily accessible for tomorrow morning.