Colder Friday, Gradually Warming into Next Week

Colder Friday:

Yesterday felt rather "pleasant", considering the fact that Rockford hit an extremely cold low of -18 Wednesday morning. A little sunshine, along with a decent southwest wind, pushed our highs into the low to mid 30s. But just as quick as we were to warm back up, a cold front sliding through late in the day yesterday had no issues taking the warmth away for the end of the work week. 

Since the frontal passage, temperatures have been falling across the area, with most landing in the low to mid single-digits. With an organized wind out of the north, wind chills values are registering near or below-zero. If you plan to head out the door, make sure to dress for the weather, preferably in three or more layers to stay warm.

With that being said, this cold start to our Friday is a sign for things to come as highs will be limited to the mid-teens. This is despite the sunny skies that lie ahead. With an area of high pressure nearby, skies remain clear Friday night into Saturday morning. This will allow radiational cooling to take place, allowing temperatures to rapidly drop below-zero. Thankfully, this brief spell of Arctic air will make it's way out by Saturday afternoon, allowing a warming trend to commence.

Trending Upward:

The weekend looks to remain fairly quiet for the most part, with more cloud cover being featured on Saturday than Sunday. The only chance, and it's a very slim chance, for any precipitation comes in the form of a weak and moisture-starved cold front late Saturday night. 

Chances look to come to an end by early Sunday morning, with temperatures climbing closer to average. As a ridge of high pressure takes control higher up in the atmosphere, this will allow warmer air to race northward early next week. Highs on Monday look to peak in the mid to upper 30s, with temperatures close to 40 by Tuesday. 

Next Week's Storm:

While we'll welcome the incoming warm-up with open arms, all eyes are on the possibility for a significant storm system during the Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday time-frame. Forecast models show this event starting out as a mix of rain and snow late Tuesday before changing over to accumulating snow Wednesday and Thursday, But due to the fact that we are still 5 days out at the least from anything happening, there will be changes made to the forecast guaranteed. If you have plans during this time, it'll be best to stay up-to-date with the forecast.