Active pattern brings plenty of rain chances to the Stateline

 

A mix of sun and clouds greeted us Wednesday afternoon bringing temperatures into the mid and upper 50s, with Rockford's high reaching 58 degrees. The average high for late March is the low 50s. Partly sunny skies will stick around through the evening with a gradual increase in clouds through Midnight. This will keep temperatures on a steady decline through the night, dropping on either side of 40 degrees overnight.

A current scan of radar shows light rain showers to the northwest over the Plains and Midwest diving southeast. These showers have developed along an elevated frontal boundary that stretches northwest to southeast across the Midwest. The rain will be battling some drier air locally, so any rain that does move in should be rather light and scattered.

Scattered showers will continue into Thursday morning before drying out by the afternoon. Highs on Thursday will warm into the mid-50s. We remain dry through most of Thursday night before a warm front lifts back north Friday morning. As it does a few elevated scattered thunderstorms will be possible around sunrise. These storms are expected to remain below severe limits locally, but some of the stronger cores could have some small hail.

Highs on Friday will warm quickly into the 70s but will also come with a strong southwest wind. Winds will gust 35-40 mph throughout the afternoon and evening. 

The warm front then stalls heading into the weekend where temperatures north of the front will remain quite chilly, but south of the front will remain quite warm. The Stateline will be sandwiched in-between. If we remain on the warmer side of the front temperatures will warm back close to 70 degrees, but we would also see a slightly better chance for some thunderstorms both Saturday and Sunday.