Sunshine returns ahead of Wednesday's rain/snow mix

Clear skies moving in behind Monday's round of gusty snow showers have left us with a major chill for the start of our Tuesday. Locales are sitting 10°-20° cooler compared to 24 hours ago, in the low to mid 20s. Dress warmly before you head out.

 

 

No issues the rest of the day as high pressure slides in from the north, keeping skies sun-filled from start to finish. Winds remain out of the northwest, limiting our afternoon highs to the low 40s. Like yesterday, this runs well-below average as we're typically in the upper 50s at this point in April. Thankfully, winds will be less breezy, meaning today's sunshine will be much more suitable for outdoor activities. 

Cloud cover increases Tuesday night as our next storm system sets its eyes on the Stateline. Light rain or a mix of rain and snow will move around or a little after daybreak in a hit or miss fashion. 

More organized and somewhat heavier precipitation is scheduled to arrive further into the day, closer to the start of the evening commute. At this point, temperatures will be rolling back into the 30s, which will allow snow to mix in.

For the most part, forecast models do keep the highest chance for mixed precipitation or even snow along and north of the Illinois/Wisconsin border. 

No snow accumulations are expected. Rain showers will linger into Thursday as a much weaker storm system passes through. In the end, rainfall totals will wind up in the .10"-.25" range.

Clearing skies follow snow flurries Monday evening

 

A brisk north wind Monday not only kept temperatures nearly 10-15 degrees below the early April average of 56, but it also provided a few widely scattered snow flurries throughout the afternoon. While impacts from any precipitation will remain minimal, the scattered precipitation will continue through sunset. After that, high pressure moves in which will help clear our skies and allow overnight lows to fall into the low 20s.

High pressure will remain in control through Tuesday ahead of our next weather-maker which is forecast to move in late Tuesday night and Wednesday. Again, this could bring us the chance for some wintry precipitation to start and end Wednesday. In between comes the chance for scattered rain showers throughout the afternoon.

The high temperature Wednesday will depend on just how strong an area of low pressure will be, passing to the south during the afternoon. A more well-defined low-pressure system could help pull in a little cooler air aloft, holding on to the chance for a rain/snow mix during the afternoon. A less defined low-pressure system will allow temperatures to warm slightly, but an east wind will keep highs below average.

The chance for a rain/snow mix will continue into Wednesday evening with scattered rain showers lasting into Thursday. Highs Thursday will warm close to 50 degrees.

Tracking a few opportunities for snowflakes to fly this week

A strong cold front diving in will bring the Stateline its next chance to see some flakes fly. Yes, even though we're in April, we could still see precipitation fall in the form of snow as cold air lingers. 

The highest chance will be before midday, with some of the strongest snow showers lowering visibility for a short time. Once the front is to our south, dry but breezy conditions settle in for the afternoon. Winds being chilly out of the north and northwest, leaving afternoon highs near the 40° mark.

Skies will clear overnight as high pressure sinks down from the north. This, along with lighter winds, will make for a chilly start to our Tuesday, leaving overnight lows in the low to mid 20s. 

The chill will persist into Tuesday afternoon. Despite there being a little more sunshine, afternoon highs will be limited to the low 40s. 

 

Clouds cover will increase Tuesday night as our next weather maker approaches. By Wednesday morning, scattered rain showers will become likely, with a few flakes mixing in from time to time. Forecast models bring the associated low across the I-80 corridor during peak-heating hours, leaving surface winds out of the east. This, along with thick cloud cover staying put for most, if not all of the day, will leave afternoon highs in the low to mid 40s.

Scattered snow showers Monday morning, gradual warm up through the week

 The sunshine made a return Sunday with highs reaching back into the low 50s once again. Into the night, we will remain under a mostly clear sky until 3-4AM when a strong cold front approaches from the North. This will bring a narrow band of gusty snow showers with it, limiting visibility for a short time as the snow comes down.

Additional isolated snow showers or flurries may be possible into the mid-morning, but the afternoon will be dry and chilly. Any snow showers we see will have accumulations limited to grassy and elevated surfaces, with the highest potential of that East of I-39.

The strong cold front will drop temperatures down into the upper 30s and low 40s for Monday and Tuesday afternoons, while overnight lows Monday night could be in the low 20s. A gradual warming trend will be the story throughout the rest of the week, with highs reaching the 50s Thursday and Friday then 60s Saturday and Sunday.

Tuesday night into early Thursday will be our next window for any potential precipitation with a compact system passing through the region. This will bring scattered rain showers starting Wednesday morning, possibly lasting into Thursday. There is a slim chance for some snow to mix in depending on temperature trends as we get closer. Warmest model solutions favor a cold rain, while some others have a few flakes trying to mix in particularly Thursday morning.

Snow showers Monday morning, seasonable temperatures into the week

 

As we head into another Sunday and now into our first full week of April conditions continue to stay consistent as they have over the past few days. Today will once again be seasonable temperature wise as we'll stay in the low 50's with more sunshine than the days before! With the combination of high pressure and weak upper-level winds, today will be a pleasant day for early April!

Heading into tomorrow though a cold front will pass through late tonight and into tomorrow morning where temperatures are expected to drop into the upper 20's or low 30's. Along this front, moisture will pool together creating the chance for some snow showers and mixed precipitation into the morning tomorrow. We'll gradually clear through the day but snowy/icy conditions in the morning may make things a little tricky during the early commute.

Snow showers will arrive in the late overnight hours and into the early morning hours of tomorrow as the cold front moves overhead. Precipitation is expected to start out as a mixed mode with some rain showers and snow showers possible as the front moves in helping cool down temperatures. After the front passes though, colder air will allow for water droplets to freeze easier which will allow mainly snow showers to develop into the afternoon.

Any snow shower that does come through isn't expected to accumulate too much, however slick spots may be possible on roadways along with reduced visibility at times.

The first of the showers will entire the state line around 4-5 a.m. as mainly scattered showers. During the morning just ahead of the front surface temperatures will be just above freezing so some of this may start out as ice or rain.

This front will be quickly moving south through the morning with continued showers along the front. These showers will be scattered through the morning though so some locations may see snow and others may not see any precipitation at all!

Behind the cold front, with a little bit of lift and moisture still leftover a few snow showers may develop into the late morning and early afternoon. These showers would mainly contain snow or possible graupel as temperatures will remain cooler behind the cold front. Once again accumulation is expected to be low, however areas that do have a shower that moves over tomorrow may see some snow on surfaces, but this will quickly melt into the afternoon!

The good news is that cooler temperatures aren't expected to stick around long! As we move into the later portions of the week high pressure will build to our southwest allowing warm temperatures to move eastward. As we head into the week above average temperatures may make a return!

Seasonable Sunday, snow showers early Monday

 After another cloudy day with high temperatures in the 50s for most, things will clear out a bit tonight. That will allow temperatures to drop into the upper 20s into early Sunday, setting the stage for a chilly morning. Sunshine will peek through a partly cloudy sky into the afternoon, boosting temperatures into the mid-50s again for afternoon highs. Average high this time of year is 56 in Rockford, so we won't be far off!

But "average" weather in early April also means short-lived chances at spotty snow showers. A strong cold front late Sunday night into early Monday morning will bring a sliver of moisture. This will be enough to produce some spotty snow showers, mainly between 4-9AM Monday morning.

Highest coverage of the snow showers will be primarily East of I-39, especially into the early daytime hours. These snow showers will be accompanied by a stark wind from the North, so it will feel noticeably colder into Monday morning. Snowfall will not amount to much, possibly some minor accumulations on grassy and elevated surfaces in areas that see multiple of the scattered snow showers move through.

The sharp cold front will bring a brief pocket of colder air over the upper Midwest and Great Lakes regions. This will keep local afternoon highs in the 40s Monday and Tuesday, while the overnight low Monday night could be in the low 20s. Luckily the chill is short-lived, as we will return closer to the 50s by the middle of the week.

Friday night weather update

 High temperatures Friday only reached near the 50-degree mark for most in the Stateline amid thick cloud cover and even a few evening showers. A few more light showers or patches of drizzle remain possible through much of the overnight hours. Rainfall will remain light and scattered in nature, limiting accumulations. Temperatures will drop near 40° tonight amid the scattered showers.

The weekend is a bit drier, but similar high temperatures can be expected only near 50-degrees again. Sunshine will make its eventual return late Saturday evening just before the sun sets, while Sunday will feature a partly cloudy sky. Northwest winds could gust near 25 mph on Saturday.

The weekend will remain dry, but our next chance for precipitation after tonight comes in the form of some light snow showers possibly paired with a wintry mix early Monday morning. These won't last long into the afternoon with high pressure moving in. But that high pressure will keep us chilly for Monday and Tuesday with highs only in the 40s.