Cool & Rainy Cinco De Mayo, Jumping into Summer By Next Week

Cool, Rainy End:

After a sun-filled Wednesday, clouds were quick to increase overnight as our next storm system glides across the central plains. This year's edition of Cinco De Mayo starts off cloudy and dry, with rain showers moving in during the afternoon. 

We will more than likely hold on to a steady light rain through tonight and well into Friday. So, it's safe to say that you'll need to grab the umbrella before you head out both today and tomorrow. Accumulation-wise, I can see totals ranging from .25" to .75" before our chances completely come to an end by Friday evening. A ridge of high pressure is then scheduled to settle in from the west, allowing for a less rain-filled forecast for Mother's Day weekend. 

Mother's Day Weekend:

Partly sunny skies are expected for Saturday, with temperatures climbing into the mid 60s. The ridge mentioned above is then expected to shift eastward over the Midwest and Great Lakes overnight Saturday and into Sunday, allowing conditions to remain dry into Mother's Day. With a strengthening southeasterly wind, highs look to end up a little closer to the 70-degree mark. Now, while plenty of dry hours are promised on Mother's Day, an upper-level disturbance sliding across the northern Great Plains will bring a bit more cloud cover to the area. Along with the cloud cover does come a chance for an isolated shower or thunderstorm.

Jumping Into Summer:

The 60s we see over the weekend is only the start of what is to be a big-time warm-up that will last well into next week. Winds remain potent out of the south and southeast, allowing highs to climb into low 80s for Monday. To compare, the Rockford Airport doesn't average low 80s until the middle of June. Yes, way ahead of schedule. 

A warm front is then set to lift north of the region as we head into Tuesday, allowing highs to climb into the mid 80s, even close to 90-degrees by Wednesday. Along with the rise in the heat will also be the rise in humidity as dew point temperatures, which could make next week feel somewhat humid! In other words, our first taste of summer!