Wind Advisory Issued, Quick-Moving Storm Arrive Overnight

Wind Advisory:

 For the second consecutive day, warm winds and plenty of sunshine helped afternoon temperatures climb into the upper 60s. Yesterday however was different as Rockford's high of 68° tied the record high set back in 1977. Today will be just as warm, but we'll trading in yesterday's sunshine for morning rain chances and blustery conditions.

Early this morning, the National Weather Service places all of our counties in northern Illinois under a Wind Advisory. This is set to begin at 11 a.m. this morning, and last until 8 p.m. this evening. Shower chances will be greatest during the early morning hours, with much of the activity being scattered in nature. Guidance shows the first round of rain coming to an before mid-day, with the focus then switching to the strong winds that arrive this afternoon. 

Gusts & Impacts: 

 Under the hours of the wind advisory, wind gusts of 40 to 45 mph will be possible. The strongest winds look to move in shortly after mid-day, with blustery conditions lasting through the evening commute. If you're working from home, be sure to secure any loose objects that are displaced around your yard. For those that are traveling, please use extra caution. Especially if you're someone who operates a high-profile vehicle. Cloud cover remains mostly cloudy ahead of tonight's cold front, but I wouldn't be surprised if we see a few peeks of sunshine from time to time. Temperature-wise, we'll make a run at our record high of 70° set back in 1955. But current thinking suggests we fall short by a degree or two!

Overnight Storms:

The cold front I previously mentioned will help spark up a second round of rain chances, which will be fast-moving, more organized and widespread than the round that came through this morning. Guidance shows a line of showers and thunderstorms sliding in from the west-northwest around 9PM this evening, quickly pushing out around the midnight hour.

A majority of the Stateline still remains under a "general" thunderstorm risk, with much of tonight's activity producing heavy downpours and frequent cloud to ground lightning. However, the Storm Prediction Center has placed our areas closer to the Mississippi River under a Marginal Risk (level 1 of 5) for severe weather. Any of the stronger thunderstorms will have the capability to produce strong winds. The actual cold front is shown sliding into the area right before sunrise Thursday morning, resulting in cooler temperatures for the end of the work week.