Warm and Windy Memorial Day

Temperatures Sunday afternoon warmed into the mid and upper 80s, officially reaching 88 degrees in Rockford. While skies were partly to mostly cloudy at times, strong south winds helped bring temperatures nearly 10-12 degrees above average for most. 

Winds really started to increase during the afternoon, nearing 45-50 mph at times late in the day. While typically strong winds decrease as the sun sets and the night approaches, Sunday night will continue with rather strong winds thank to an increasing low level jet, where just a few thousand feet above the surface winds will be close to 60 mph. The strong wind momentum will transfer down to the surface helping to keep wind gusts between 25-30 mph through Monday morning.

As the sun shines bright Memorial Day temperatures will soar rather quickly into the upper 80s and low 90s during the afternoon. The forecast high for Rockford on Monday is 91 degrees. While it'll be hot, it won't be overly humid. Dew point temperatures are forecast to rise into the low 60s but the heat index temperature won't be too far removed from the actual air temperature. That's in part to the strong winds expected during the day, as well as the chance for mixing down some drier air aloft. Wind gusts Monday afternoon are expected to be between 35-40 mph. 

 So if you're heading out to any one of the Memorial Day parades around town, the biggest hazard will be the wind, followed by the heat and sun. Make sure you wear plenty of sunscreen.