Rare warmth, heavy rain set to return Christmas weekend

From the bone-chilling teens to the balmy 50s. 

That's the type of temperature swing we'll see from Christmas Day last year to this year! A glimpse at the record books show that only 4% of Christmases in Rockford have reached the 50° mark. 

The last time this occurred, 2019 when Rockford observed it's warmest Christmas on record (59°). If our forecast high of 53° were to verify, it would breach the top 5 for warmest on record.

On the flip side, this rare holiday warmth does come with the potential for widespread rain. 

Rich moisture surging northward will interact with a stalled boundary, resulting in several rounds of showers and heavy downpours for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Something to monitor if you are scheduled to travel. In the mix will also be the chance for a thunderstorm or two.

 

Forecast models continue to paint a picture that leaves the Stateline 1"-2" of rain, with higher amounts falling west of the Mississippi. 

A second glimpse at the record books shows that Rockford's wettest Christmas occurred back in 1945 where the airport observed 1.25". A record in which at this moment may be in jeopardy. Showers carry on into Tuesday before a drier weather pattern spills in for the second half of the week.