Fall chill only lasts through the upcoming weekend

 Following a pair of cold fronts late this week, a fall-like chill will settle in through the weekend. Cool Canadian high pressure will be to thank for the chill, with high temperatures only in the 60s through Sunday. As this high pressure moves away, we will see a return to an average trend by the middle of next week.

We remain well below average through the early part of next week, with afternoon highs only in the 60s and low 70s through Monday. Tuesday and Wednesday will see afternoon highs return to the mid-70s. Overnight lows will range from the mid 40s to low 50s through this time.

We will see a slow return to near and above average again into the middle of the month. The Climate Prediction Center outlook gives us a slight lean to see above average temperatures between the 11th and 17th of September. By this time, average highs are only in the mid-70s. We may be able to squeeze out a few days near 80° again toward the middle of September.

Wednesday showers move out, Cooler air settles in

 

A strong Fall cold front continues to move through northern Illinois, pushing a line of showers and thunderstorms into central Illinois. Winds have turned to the northwest behind the front as cooler air settles in this evening.

Temperatures Wednesday were a bit cooler than the last several days, with highs only reaching the upper 60s and low 70s. Cloud cover will slowly begin to thin out through the night as drier air settles in, leaving skies partly cloudy Thursday morning. Overnight lows will fall into the mid-40s.

West winds remain breezy Thursday but sunshine throughout the afternoon should bring temperatures into the mid, possibly upper, 60s. This, however, is still 10 degrees below average. 

A second cold front will be quick to move in Thursday night as low pressure moves into central Wisconsin. A brief return of moisture right ahead of the front will lead to a few sprinkles, perhaps even a light shower or two, around Midnight with drier conditions Friday morning. Southwest winds will increase Thursday night ahead of the cold front, gusting 30-35 mph. The strong winds will continue into Friday but will shift to the northwest following the front. This will help keep temperatures in the low to mid 60s during the afternoon. 

High pressure will slowly inch closer through the weekend which will help bring temperatures out of the October like chill, and eventually back into the 70s next week.    

Pair of cold fronts bring multiple rain chances ahead of September's first weekend

Wednesday begins with a batch of scattered showers as a cold front approaches from the northwest. These will be through before sunrise, though we can expect another round of showers to develop as the cold front itself sweeps through the Stateline. 

 

 

The timing of the second round will be from the mid-morning hours to the mid-afternoon hours, leaving behind up to a quarter inch for most. With the cold front as well will be a wind shift to the northwest, which will slowly cool temperatures back into the 60s prior to the evening commute. 

 

Dry air is quick to move in behind the front which will give us some clearing Wednesday night as temperatures fall into the low to mid 40s. Highs will also end up cooler for Thursday, landing in the upper 60s. Compared to what we typically see in early-September, this runs 12-14 below average. A quick-moving system aims to bring another cold front through early Friday. Like today's, there will be a chance for a few showers early as well as a cool down that lingers into the weekend.
 

Temperatures cool following strong Fall cold front Wednesday

 

There isn't much more one can say about the beautiful stretch of pre-Fall weather we've been dealt lately other than Tuesday was a near carbon copy of the last few days: partly cloudy skies and temperatures warming into the mid and upper 70s. But if you've been yearning for those summer-like temperatures to return, you may have to wait a bit longer. It's been nearly two weeks since we've had a high temperature of 80 degrees, which was back on the 20th of August! And it'll be a little while before we see those 80s return, if they return at all!

Clouds will continue to increase through the evening which will help keep temperatures in the upper 50s, to right around 60 degrees tonight. This is actually closer to our average low temperature for the beginning of September.

Rain and thunderstorms have been ongoing to our northwest this afternoon, ahead of the main cold front that arrives Wednesday. The precipitation won't be much of a factor for us this evening because of the lack of instability and drier air currently over northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin. With that, a lot of the showers have been weakening and dissipating.

As a little piece of energy moves in after Midnight, we could see a few light showers redevelop, lasting through sunrise Wednesday. However, I don't think this will have much impact on the morning commute. The cold front will arrive during the morning as light rain forms along and behind it, moving out by late afternoon. Winds will turn to the northwest as temperatures as temperatures drop from near 70 degrees around 10am/11am, down into the 60s by lunchtime and then into the 50s around sunset. Rainfall totals are likely to remain around a quarter of an inch.

Dry air is quick to move in behind the front which will give us some clearing Wednesday night as temperatures fall into the low to mid 40s. This dry air sticks around into Thursday which will give us a little more sunshine, but temperatures only in the low to mid 60s.

The next wave of energy to move through will be late Thursday night as a second cold front swings in. Ahead of the front, surface winds will briefly

transition to the southwest before quickly turning to the northwest Friday. This will hold temperatures in the 60s again Friday afternoon. Winds will also increase with this second system, gusting around 30 mph through Friday afternoon and early evening.

Scattered showers, October-like air tag along with Wednesday's cold front

Like Labor Day, there will shallow patches of fog that develop ahead of the morning drive. Otherwise, high pressure over the Great Lakes will keep our weather dry for one more day. Expect highs to wind up back in the upper 70s under partly cloudy skies. 

 

Skies will turn mostly cloudy overnight as a cold front descends towards the Stateline. With this frontal passage will be a batch of showers, with chances starting around the mid to late morning hours and extending into the afternoon. 

An isolated non-severe storm or two cannot be ruled out. Rainfall totals will end up near 0.25" for most, with isolated totals up to 0.50".

The bigger headline with Wednesday's cold front is the reintroduction of cool Canadian air. An air mass that is even cooler than the air that was supplied to us with the previous cold front.
 

 

Afternoon highs will dip into the low 70s Wednesday, then fall into the 60s starting Thursday. Overnight lows will get chilly, dropping into the low 40s tomorrow night, upper 40s Thursday, then back down into the low 40s Friday and Saturday. All the late-summer heat is currently trapped under a ridge of high pressure over the west coast.
 

Cooler end to the month of August; A look ahead to the month of September

 

As we wrap up the month of August and begin the month of September temperatures briefly warm close to average but then cool quite a bit by the middle to end of the week.

August ended on a cooler note with an average temperature (both high and low) of 70.6 degrees. This is 1.3 degrees below our monthly average. While not the driest August, precipitation did wind up below average with just over three inches being recorded, 0.89 inches below average. Our highest rainfall total came back on the 10th when 1.4 inches fell in Rockford.

Looking ahead into the month of September we begin to see a bigger drop in temperatures from beginning to end. The average high temperature sits right around 80 degrees at the beginning of the month, dropping down to 70 degrees by the end. Low temperatures also fall about 10 degrees from beginning to end. The average monthly precipitation is just over 3.6 inches. Our wettest September was back in 1961 when 10.68 inches fell, with the driest back in 1979 when just 0.05 inches came down. Last September was dry with only 2.05 inches being recorded. 

Rain chances increase ahead of a strong cold front Wednesday afternoon and evening. The rain won't last long, moving in and out quickly as the front passes through. Thunderstorm chances aren't the greatest, but an isolated rumble of thunder may also be possible. Rainfall totals will range from around 0.25 inches to around 0.50 inches.  

Weather to remain quiet, seasonable ahead of Wednesday's strong cold front

It's hard to believe today is September 1st, the start of meteorological fall! Now, that phrase may hit a little different this year considering we've had a long-lived taste of fall to wrap up August. In fact, the final 13 days of the month wound up below average, posting a average high temperature of 76 degrees.

 

Temperatures will end up a little warmer for Labor Day, climbing into the upper 70s under partly cloudy skies. With a light easterly to southeasterly wind, our humidity levels remain comfortable. Expect a few passing clouds overnight, with overnight lows falling back into the low 50s. In a similar fashion to this morning, patchy fog will be possible.
 

 

Tomorrow will be similar to today, with highs in the upper 70s under partly cloudy skies. The one change, surface winds will be more out of the southwest and west, though it won't have any impact on humidity levels as dew points remain in the mid 50s.
 

 

  

We'll have to keep tabs on a strong cold front for the middle of the work week. One that will bring us our best chance for rain this week but also, another strong dose of Canadian cool air. 

Forecast models bring this front in late Wednesday morning into the early afternoon. Scattered showers, and an isolated thunderstorm, will be possible as it pushes on through our area. Behind it, a push of much cooler air takes place, even cooler than what we've dealt with recently. This will lower afternoon highs to the mid to upper 60s Thursday, Friday, and over the upcoming weekend. Overnight lows will get quite chilly, landing in the low to mid 40s Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday nights.