Temperatures tumble following Wednesday's Arctic front

Winter is wintering big time and we're less than 3 weeks away from the seasonal change. Yesterday marked the 5th day in a row where temperatures didn't get out of the 20s. This is Rockford's longest sub-30° stretch since January.

Tuesday will be no different, and that's despite the fact today features more sunshine and an increasing wind out of the southwest.

Cloud cover will gather up overnight as our next system descends into the lower 48. The associated cold front will be a strong one, not only bringing the Stateline a chance for scattered flurries but also our next round of cold Arctic air.  

 

 

Sunshine returns on Thursday, but a rather gusty northwesterly wind will develop behind Wednesday's frontal passage. This will send temperatures tumbling into the lower teens, possibly into the upper single-digits come Thursday morning. At the same time, wind chill values will end up below zero, reaching the upper single-digits by Thursday afternoon. Long story short, Thursday is going to be DOWNRIGHT cold. Highs remain in the 20s Friday before climbing over the weekend. Come Sunday and Monday, highs will end up above average in the low 40s.