Warm Presidents' Day, multiple 50° days ahead

Old man winter paid a brief visit and when I mean brief, I mean just for the weekend. 

Conditions went from sub-zero wind chills Saturday morning to highs in the upper 40s Sunday. That spike in temperatures is expected to not only carry on into Presidents' Day, but also into the end of February. 

The holiday does begin with quite the chill as most of our locales are sitting in the teens. If you do have to be out and about, bundle up. Sunshine along with a south-southwesterly wind will result in roughly 30° temperature climb, landing most in the upper 40s. A light warm breeze lingers into the early stages of Tuesday, leaving overnight lows in the mid to upper 20s by daybreak. 

As of this morning, Rockford's total number of 50° days since February 1st stands at 4. We can expect to add a few more to that tally as winds remain breezy out of the south-southwest. 

Expect highs to land in the low 50s Tuesday afternoon under partly cloudy skies. Believe it or not, our forecast high of 52° isn't record warmth. Back in 2017, the Stateline saw a 6-day stretch of historical warmth as highs at the Rockford Airport soared into the upper 60s and low 70s. 

Low pressure diving to our south will bring a bit more cloud cover to the area Wednesday night. With this cloud cover could come a shower or two. Otherwise, we in for even warmer temperatures Wednesday as highs are slated to peak in the upper 50s.

Despite a cold front Thursday morning, highs will once again peak in the low 50s. In a similar fashion to last week, it's not until Friday and Saturday where we see a huge difference in temperatures. The cooler air associated with Thursday's cold front finally filters into the Great Lakes, bringing us down into the low 40s for both days. However, southwest winds take over by Sunday afternoon, allowing highs to climb back into the low 50s. 

For those who are a huge fan of this forecast, long range outlook provide even better news showcasing a high chance for above average temperatures into meteorological spring. 

Meteorological spring begins March 1st!