Late-Winter Chill Slides in Behind Today's Cold Front

Quick To Warm:

Before we jump into the forecast, here's a fun fact about yesterday's warmth. Thanks to yesterday's strong southerly winds, the Chicago-Rockford International Airport observed a 40° jump from the morning low to the afternoon high. According to the National Weather Service in Chicago, Rockford on average sees such a jump about twice a year. A lingering southerly breeze Tuesday morning has brought a much warmer start for those heading out the door, with most spots in the upper 40s. While today ends up on the mild side of the spectrum, a strong but moisture starved cold front will send temperatures tumbling into the middle of the work week. 

Midweek Chill: 

A glimpse at hi-res models early Tuesday morning showed our cold front, which is currently sitting over southeast MN and central IA, sliding through early this afternoon. Ahead of the cold front, a southerly to southwesterly breeze should push us close to the 60° mark before temperatures tumble into tonight. Aside from a few more clouds, and a very slim chance for a stray sprinkle or two, this cold front should swing through dry as it really doesn't have much to work with. A better possibility for light showers resides to our south and east closer to I-80 and I-55. Behind this cold frontal passage, a MUCH cooler airmass sitting over the Hudson Bay in Canada will filter into the Upper Midwest and the Great Lakes region. This will help remind us here at home that even though we've fully jumped into spring, winter isn't done just yet.

Brief Cool-Down

Winds are expected to shift to the northwest overnight, remaining breezy into the middle of the work week. This will allow this cooler air-mass to spill into the Stateline by Wednesday morning, dropping temperatures below freezing. If you've already done some work on your garden, make sure that they are protected before going to bed as frost will be likely. High pressure looks to take over the central plains, keeping our atmosphere dry into the second half of the work week. While we have the sunshine, it won't really do much to boost our temperatures. Highs both Wednesday and Thursday only climb into the low 40s, a good 10° to 15° below our average highs going into April. Thankfully, this cooldown is BRIEF.