Few Snow Showers Friday & Saturday, Getting Colder

Storm Recap:

This long-lasting and slow-moving mid-latitude cyclone sure has brought quite the active stretch to northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin. Over the past few days, the Rockford Airport has picked up 1.95" of rainfall, placing us almost 1.5" above the average up to December 15th. 

Most of it coming in on Wednesday as the 1.70" that was observed is now the wettest December 14th on record for Rockford. Snowfall-wise, we haven't seen much as a majority of the more organized snowfall have remained to the north of the Illinois/Wisconsin border. With that being said, the close proximity of the old low will keep the potential for snow showers into today and also into the upcoming weekend.

Getting Colder:

The one thing to keep in mind if you plan to partake in the morning commute is the potential for a few slick spots. The combination of Thursday's scattered snow and this morning's breeze may result in blowing snow, especially in our more open areas. Otherwise, we can copy yesterday's weather and paste it into today's forecast. 

With this week's storm system spiraling close by, clouds will dominate our skies for the 8th consecutive day. Again, today's cloud cover will bring the small chance for a few afternoon flurries and snow showers. However, the bigger headline moving forward is the extremely cold air that settles in this weekend and ahead of Christmas. We have already seen it affect our temperatures as we are waking up in the mid 20s, only to warm into the upper 20s later on. 

Bitterly Cold Weekend:

More of the same can be expected for Saturday as we finally see this long-lasting storm system move away from the region. If you have any Christmas stuff to catch up on, layer up. While highs aim to peak in the upper 20s, a decent breeze out of the west will restrain wind chill values to the lower teens throughout the day. 

Temperatures cool down even further into the 20s for Sunday. HOWEVER, sunshine makes a much-needed return to northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin. Temperatures may “warm” a bit Monday, potentially inching closer to the 30° mark. But that's pretty much the extent of our warmth moving forward as stronger shot of arctic cold air is set to commence Tuesday.