Dry and warm through the end of the week; Rain chances increase for the weekend

 

The warm and dry stretch will continue for another couple days before a little rain and slightly cooler temperatures find their way back into the forecast by the weekend and early next week.  Under sun-filled skies Tuesday afternoon high temperatures warmed into the low 80s area wide; not quite record warmth due to a more east/southeast wind, but remaining well above average.  After cooling off into the low 50s Tuesday night, Wednesday will feature another warm afternoon with highs reaching the mid 80s.  We should continue to see plenty of sunshine Wednesday as upper level ridging holds strong across northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin.

Temperatures Thursday afternoon will also warm into the mid 80s, but you'll begin to notice an increase in cloud cover throughout the afternoon and evening.  This is due to an increase in moisture as the ridging aloft begins to slide east, allowing low pressure currently over the Southwest to slide further northeast across the Plains and eventually into the Midwest.  Rain chances, though, remain low due to several days of a very dry air mass centered over much of the Midwest. 

Temperatures will be held down just a bit further Friday, but still above average, as cloud cover continues to grow.  By the afternoon there may be just enough moisture to allow a few light showers to occur through the evening, but any rain that falls would be fairly light, as well as with light rain totals.  We'll begin to see a little more of a surge of moisture Saturday and Sunday as low pressure nears from the west.  This should increase the chance for rain, although not a washout, late in the Saturday and Sunday as low pressure becomes cut-off from the main flow of the jet stream, spinning across the lower Great Lakes through early next week.  Periodic rain showers will be possible during that time as temperatures fall to more seasonable readings; highs in the low 70s.