Friday, September 9, 2022

More Sunshine Ahead, Big Changes Arrive Over the Weekend

Last 6:30AM Sunrise:

The amount of daylight we get to enjoy has been getting shorter and shorter since the summer solstice back on June 21st. This morning, the sun is expected to rise at 6:30, marking the last sunrise at or before 6:30 until March 2nd, 2023. 

But once the sun is up above the horizon, the 12 hours and 46ish minutes of daylight we have will be spent under sun-filled skies!

More Sunshine Ahead:

The same high pressure system that brought us an increasing amount of sunshine throughout the week will slowly slide our east. This will allow winds to tilt more out of the south and southwest, continuing our low 80s stretch. 

Tagging long with this afternoon's pleasantly warm temperatures will be plenty of sunshine. Conditions remain dry but warm for those traveling home this evening or for those attending week 3 of Friday Night Lights. Expect a few clouds to remain with us overnight, with temperatures falling back on either side of the 60-degree mark by Saturday morning. 

Big Changes This Weekend:

Saturday kicks off with sun-filled skies. However, forecast models all week have been bringing in a slow-moving cold front by mid to late afternoon. This looks to bring a few more clouds to the area, with rain chances not too far behind. 

As moisture increases, a few showers Saturday evening will become more widespread and potentially heavier overnight. While the threat for severe weather is very low, a few rumbles of thunder cannot be ruled out as the upper-level low spirals near northwest Illinois.

Sunday looks to be one of those "sit inside and relax" type days as clouds and rain chances look to dominate a good portion of the day. That, along  with a rather gusty wind out of the north and northwest will limit highs in the mid to upper 60s. To put this late weekend's chill into perspective, the Rockford area doesn't see average highs in this range until early October. 

More of the same can be expected for Monday as this low pressure system is expected to make a slow exit from the western Great Lakes. When it is all said and done, most could see rainfall accumulations up to, and even over, an inch. Forecast models continue to show the heaviest rainfall occurring over extreme northern Illinois and the southern half of Wisconsin. By Tuesday, the weather pattern dries out with temperatures climbing back into the lower 70s.

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