Bitter cold on the way for Thanksgiving Day

For those counting, we are 34 days away from the seasonal change to winter. However, old man winter has thrown a few signs our way that the chilly days of winter aren't too far away. 

One of those signs, a clipper system that brought a trace of snow to Rockford on Halloween. Next on his list, a very cold air-mass that aims to settle in just in time for the Thanksgiving holiday. 

Next week's forecast kicks off with an area of low pressure that models show lifting into southern Illinois from the southern plains. 

Moisture associated with the low will help spread cloud cover northward, turning our skies mostly cloudy Sunday night into Monday. Along with the cloud cover comes a few light showers Monday night, with a better chance for rain Tuesday. 

Temperatures take a big hit following the departure of our early-week storm system, landing in the low 40s Tuesday, then low 30s Wednesday. 

This is all because of a rather strong round of northwest flow that helps bring an extremely cold air-mass into the lower 48. Thanksgiving day looks to start with temperatures in the teens, with highs really struggling to climb out of the 30s. Believe it or not, there is some good news. Precipitation doesn't seem to be a factor in the holiday's forecast!