Showers return with mid-week cold front

 

The late summer heat and humidity sure came in full force to kick off the month of September. Beginning September 1st and lasting through the 4th, we achieved four straight days of 90-degree heat. Temperatures over the weekend fell below the 90-degree mark, but Sunday's high of 84 degrees felt a little more comfortable than Saturday's high of 84 due to some drier air and high pressure.

Labor Day was another spectacular afternoon with plenty of sunshine and temperatures warming into the upper 70s and low 80s once again. Rockford reached a high of 83 degrees. We've had a few upper-level clouds roll in from time to time due to a weakening area of showers over Iowa, but those should thin out as the evening progresses. Temperatures Monday night will fall back into the upper 50s, to right around 60 degrees.

Winds will pick up from the south Tuesday afternoon with a few gusts approaching 20 mph. This will help bring afternoon temperatures into the mid-80s. The dry air will hang on throughout the afternoon, but the continued pull of moisture into the region will allow for a few showers to dot the skies shortly after sunset.

A steadier rain will occur during the morning Wednesday as a cold front sweeps across northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin. Rainfall totals in some spots could approach close to half an inch, with a few pockets of heavier rainfall across northwest Illinois.

The cold front will slip to the southeast Wednesday afternoon with high pressure moving back in Thursday and Friday. This will bring a return of more comfortable, September-like weather to the area to round out the week.