Conditions remain dry ahead of Wednesday night's rainfall

It's the gift that keeps on giving. Monday marked the fourth day in a row where high pressure left us with a plenty of sun and cooler temperatures. Officially, the Rockford Airport peaked at 82°.  

This lands 1° below average. Now, similar weather can be expected today as this high pressure system sits comfortably to our east. The one thing to keep in mind, fog will be possible during the morning commute. Afternoon highs will be slightly warmer than Monday, still peaking in the low 80s. 

Wednesday also starts off dry, though clouds will be on the increase late in the day. This is all in response to our next storm system which will lift in from the southern plains. Ahead of it's associated warm front, a wave of precipitation will form, moving into the area Wednesday night into Thursday morning. Heavy rain will be a possibility during this time. 

 

A break in the action is likely to follow, though storm chances will increase once again Thursday afternoon as the system's cold front swings in. With it will come the potential for severe weather, especially if we get in on a decent amount of sunshine following the stuff that passes through early in the day. 

For that, the Storm Prediction Center has placed the entire region under a level 2 slight risk, mainly for damaging winds and an isolated tornado or two. Low pressure swinging nearby will allow shower chances to linger into our Friday, with highs dropping into the upper 70s. Temperatures remain cooler than average over the weekend after a secondary cold front passes through. Expect upper 70s and low 80s.