Wednesday kicks off with a taste of fall

Is it summer or is it fall? That's what a lot of you will be trying to figure out once you take that first step out the door this morning. 

Conditions were perfect overnight for the radiational cooling process to be more effective, allowing lows for a few to fall into the upper 40s. Climatologically speaking, Rockford doesn't typically see upper 40s until late-September/early-October. So yes, this does come a little ahead of schedule. 

Along with this morning's cooler start does come the potential for patchy fog, especially in spots that are low-lying and out in the open. High Pressure will continue its dominance over the Great Lakes, resulting in more sunshine. Winds will be weaker out of the east and at times out of the southeast. This will leave afternoon highs seasonably cool once again, landing most in the upper 70s. All in all, another great day for outdoor activities. 

Thursday and Friday will be slightly warmer thanks to a wind shift to the south and southwest. Expect highs to top out near the 80° mark.  

A ridge to our west will slowly creep eastward as we enter the weekend, allowing a much warmer airmass to slide into the Stateline. This will likely leave highs near the 90° mark Sunday through Tuesday. That, along with dew point values near the 70° mark will make it feel more like the mid to upper 90s at times. Of course with this very summer-like pattern comes the increasing chance for storms, especially Monday into Tuesday!