Chill settles in late week following a few warmer days

 

After a somewhat frosty start Monday morning, full sunshine warmed temperatures into the low 70s during the afternoon.  The clear sky will continue once again Monday evening with temperatures dipping into the mid 40s, climbing back into the low 70s Tuesday afternoon.  Average high this time of year should be in the low 60s.  Following a few warmer than normal days temperatures will drop quite a bit by the end of the week, possibly lasting through the weekend and early next week.  In between, the chance for a few showers and isolated thunderstorms. 

High pressure from Monday will continue sliding to the east Tuesday, shifting winds around to the southwest.  Winds will get a bit breezy during the afternoon, gusting close to 25 mph at times throughout the day.  While we'll see plenty of sunshine for the day Tuesday, you'll notice a few more cirrus clouds moving through the sky during the afternoon and evening.  Those clouds are forming out ahead of an area of low pressure that will strengthen as it moves across the middle of the country.

Surface high pressure anchored over the Southeast will work to block a lot of the Gulf moisture from returning to the north.  As a result, this will limit our overall rain chance Wednesday and Thursday to more scattered shower/thunderstorm activity, versus anything too widespread.  The low will move across the Plains Tuesday before entering into the Midwest Wednesday, crossing over southern Wisconsin by Thursday morning.  Southerly winds ahead of the low will keep temperatures in the upper 60s to low 70s for the afternoon, but a line of showers/isolated thunderstorms will move through for the afternoon and early evening with the arrival of a cold front.  Severe weather isn't expected. 

Temperatures won't drop right away following the passage of the front, but will cool Thursday morning as colder air slides in from the north.  Highs will drop from the low 70s on Wednesday, down into the 50s Thursday and then low to mid 50s by Friday.  Overnight lows will also take a bit of a dip, dropping back into the 30s Thursday night. 

Officially the low temperature for Rockford hasn't reached 32 degrees yet this season, but we could come close again Friday night/Saturday morning.  Outlying areas could end up experiencing low temperatures in the low 30s, with a little more widespread frost possibly by Saturday morning.