Dry, Hot Friday Ahead, Pattern Change Arrives Over the Weekend

Trending Drier:

Sunshine and warmth was the name of the game once again Thursday as temperatures peaked on either side of the 90-degree mark. In the end, it was another dry day for Rockford, which unfortunately leaves our monthly rainfall total at 0.37". 

As we've said before, June is known climatologically as Rockford's third wettest month. Unfortunately, that hasn't been the case not only this year, but the past few years as well. A glance at the almanac shows that Rockford last observed above-average rainfall during the month of June in 2018. If you recall, we managed to pick up a little over 14" of rain that June, which resulted in devastating flooding in certain spots along the Rock, the Pecatonica, and the Kishwaukee Rivers.

Dry, Hot Friday:

Ridging to the west will continue to keep our weather pattern hot and dry for the end of the work week and even into the weekend. Highs today and Saturday are expected to peak around 90-degrees. 

North to northwest winds will keep the humidity low this afternoon. However, a wind shift to the south is expected to take place into Saturday. This will bring a more muggy feel to the air. If you plan to be outdoors, whether that's going to Hurricane Harbor, Rockford's City Market, or Music at the Mall over at Edgebrook, be sure to apply plenty of sunscreen. With a lot of sunshine in the forecast the next 2 days, the UV index will be high, sitting at a 9 on a scale of 11. Drinking plenty of water or fluids will also be very important if outdoors!

Pattern Change Inbound:

Forecast models continue to show our next cold front sliding through on Sunday. This will not only bring cooler temperatures to the area, but also our next round of much-needed rainfall. As of this morning, the chance for scattered rain looks best during the afternoon and evening hours, with a few light showers lingering into early Monday. 

The one component to Sunday's rain chances that still needs to be hashed out is amounts, but keeping my fingers crossed that Sunday's rain at least helps our region in some sort of way. Post frontal passage, highs fall back in the upper 70s and low 80s into next week.