Rain chances few and far between next week

 Scattered showers were in the picture for much of Saturday afternoon, with some brief pockets of moderate rain within the strongest cells. However, most stayed dry through the afternoon, and that trend will last through much of this coming week. 

A few showers may linger into the late evening, but we clear out of rain and even some of the clouds overnight as temperatures fall back to the mid-60s. Tomorrow, more sunshine returns with a cool Northerly breeze gusting to 25 mph.

The low-pressure system to our East Sunday afternoon may produce a few very isolated showers near and along Lake Michigan, but most within our Stateline counties will remain dry with more sunshine than Saturday.

Looking ahead into next week, we have a pattern change on the way. The upper-level trough supporting our recent rain will move East, allowing for a typical summer-like ridge of high pressure building in from the West. But the highest heat and moisture remains separated from the Stateline with stronger flow aloft keeping the core of the ridge away. Eventually that ridge will spread our direction, bringing the summer-like warmth with it by next weekend.

Once that ridge spreads East, the warmer trend kicks in. Next weekend likely begins a stretch of above average temperatures that may last into the final week of August. The Climate Prediction Center has pretty good confidence in seeing a warmer than average pattern between the 23rd and 27th.

Before we get there, things will be cooler than average here locally with the ridge stuck out West. Afternoon highs will bounce between the mid-70s and the low-80s through the next work week, many days staying below the average high of 82°.

While that ridge of warmer air is slowly building in, moisture also remains limited locally much of next week. As a result, very little rain looks to fall over the next week. Many computer models even keep much of the region completely dry Sunday through Thursday. We might trend toward a more active pattern by next weekend, but before that looks quiet and cool. Enjoy!