Pleasantly warm and breezy start to the work week

Warmer Flow Remains:

Overall, this past weekend was a pleasant one. We saw highs make the upward climb from the chilly 40s Friday to the upper 50s Sunday. Fortunately, this warming trend is set to carry on into the new work week, resulting in multiple 60° days. 

Behind this morning's frontal passage, winds will turn and become breezy out of the northwest. Peak gusts late this morning and into the afternoon could range between 20-25 mph.

Now normally, a northwest wind would indicate a cooler trend in temperatures. However, that won't be the case today as the combination of today's sunshine and the amount of dry air in the atmosphere will push temperatures near the 60° mark. High pressure will then track over the region tonight, keeping a mostly clear sky in place into Tuesday morning.

By Tuesday afternoon, this high pressure system is expected to be sitting over the lower Great Lakes and the Ohio Valley. What this will do is shift our winds from the northwest to the southwest, allowing highs to stay near the 60° mark. 

And of course with Tuesday's continued warmth comes plenty of sunshine. Wednesday features more of the same, a decent amount of sun and an organized southwesterly breeze. This will make for Rockford's third straight day with highs in the 60s. As of this morning, our forecast high for Wednesday is 63°. This lands more than a handful degrees shy of our record high of 69° set back in 1990.

Thursday's Gusty Winds:

The strongest winds are expected to arrive Thursday ahead of our next cold front. Winds will still be warm out of the southwest, gusting up to 35 mph.  

This will make for highs in the upper 50s and low 60s. Models show this rather potent cold front passing through during the predawn hours Friday. 

With it does come a small chance for a passing sprinkle or shower. Otherwise, conditions will dry out by Friday afternoon, with highs peaking in the upper 40s and low 50s.