Warmth Continues, 50s Possible By this Weekend

If you thought Monday started off chilly, just wait till you take that first step out the door this morning. An area of high pressure moved overhead during the overnight hours, resulting in moonlit skies and very light surface winds. The combination of the two allowed temperatures to fall into the teens early Tuesday morning. Although winds this morning were very light, it really doesn't take much for wind chills to drop into the single-digits. Thankfully, the chill we have out there this morning doesn't tell the tale for the rest of our Tuesday.

Yesterday was trash day for my neck of the woods. But if you're waste bins are scheduled to be emptied today, you might want to secure them shortly after being emptied so that they don't topple over. With high pressure overhead Tuesday morning, skies remain sun-filled and winds remain light between 5-15 mph. With that being said, that won't be the case come Tuesday afternoon. Winds look to quickly increase by mid-day, with gusts approaching 35 mph. The strongest winds will be felt from 12PM to 4PM, with a breeze lingering into the evening commute. On the plus side, these winds will help pull in warmer air by this afternoon, with highs in the low to mid 40s. That's roughly 10° to 15° warmer than afternoon highs on Monday.

Another positive with this recent heat is how much snow we have left on the ground across the area. Sunshine, along with highs in the 30s and 40s, have really hammered away at the lingering snowpack.  In fact, the snow depth at the Rockford-Chicago International Airport went from 16" last Monday to just 1" as of this Monday.With temperatures remaining above average into the weekend, and even into next week, the lingering snowpack will continue to melt. Music to my ears.

If you're like me and your car severely needs a car wash, I have good news for you! This tranquil weather pattern is likely going to continue into the second half of the work week, with highs topping out in the 40s. Personally, I'd go either Wednesday or Thursday as winds won't be as strong. By the time we roll into the weekend, more of the same is expected. A slight increase in moisture may result in a few more clouds overhead. However, temperatures will continue to rise. In fact, my eyes are on Sunday and Monday as we have the potential to reach the low 50s for the first time in 2021! Woohoo!