Rain chances return for the weekend

 

Skies turned partly cloudy Wednesday afternoon with high pressure moving into the Midwest, warming temperatures into the upper 30s and low 40s. Rockford's high reached 43 degrees, still roughly 10 degrees below average.

Under a mostly clear sky Wednesday evening temperatures will fall to the mid-20s before cloud cover increases from the west. This will turn our skies mostly cloudy for the start of Thursday. Temperatures Thursday will warm close to 50 degrees with a little more sunshine for the afternoon.

Westerly winds Thursday will turn to the northeast as high-pressure slides across the Upper Midwest and Great Lakes Friday. This will cause a frontal boundary to 'tighten' up, so to speak, with temperatures warming into the 60s and 70s across central and southern Illinois, Iowa, and Missouri. Depending on how far the warm front reaches into the northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin, highs locally could warm close to 60 degrees. Cloud cover, however, will be on the increase as moisture increases Friday evening.

Rain chances will then return after sunset Friday, continuing into the overnight before coming to an end Saturday as low pressure sinks to the southeast. Temperatures Saturday will warm close to 60 degrees.

With the system stalled to the south Sunday there may be just enough lift to give us a few scattered rain showers Sunday afternoon and evening, but a better chance for rain returns with another low

moving into the Midwest Sunday night and Monday. Depending on the track of this low a round of heavy rain, and possibly stronger storms, will be possible through Monday night.