Warm-up comes with limited precipitation chances at first

 Milder air will soon make a comeback with the transition out of the colder pattern we have been stuck in to start 2026. This warmer air mass will spread over the area after the weekend, leading to multiple days next week featuring high temperatures in the 40s, more than 10 degrees above average for this time of year!

On the nose of the initial push of warmth, we will see a weaker weather system bypass the area to the North. A narrow window of some light wintry mix may be possible between 3-9PM Sunday. This may include some light freezing rain, which could allow for a few isolated slick spots to develop. Any impacts to roads will be limited as the bulk of the precipitation will remain pushed off to the North and surface temperatures will be rising through the evening.

Another light chance for some drizzle may be possible Monday night into Tuesday, but otherwise things will stay quiet for the first half of next week. Afternoon highs should reach well into the 40s starting Tuesday, with some sunshine returning on Wednesday as well.

A stronger weather system will approach the region later next week, bringing a more widespread potential for precipitation. The exact track of this low will determine how much precipitation we see and if we see a mix of rain and snow or mostly just rain. A northerly track would allow for warmer air to surge our way, keeping most of the precipitation in liquid form. But a southerly track could allow cooler air to rush in quicker, flipping things over to a mix Friday. Be sure to stay tuned as we narrow down the range of possibilities!

Mixed precipitation chances followed by warmup next week

 Seasonably cool temperatures will once again stick around through both today and tomorrow as we'll still feel a little bit of typical winter chill with temperatures in the mid to upper 20's. However, as we move through the evening late tomorrow night, steady warming temperatures may be accompanied by isolated mixed precipitation chances.

Through the evening tomorrow, a rather potent upper-level disturbance will pass though the mid-levels our jet stream just to our north. Thanks to a continuous southerly wind throughout the day, moisture will gradually increase ahead of this system. Towards 4 p.m. a quick moving and narrow band of mixed precipitation will be possible; however, any precipitation that does fall will not accumulate too much. Still though, for a brief period tomorrow evening, keep an eye out for slick spots on roads!

As that system moves through, a warm front will lift into the region by late Sunday and into Monday which will greatly improve our temperatures into next week. Through the majority of next week expect temperatures to be unseasonably warm in the low to mid 40's!

This warm pattern looks to stick around until at least late next week and possibly into the second week of January as the Climate Prediction Center has much of the Eastern half of the United States in above average temperatures. This will also occur at the same time as our next longwave trough system will move into the Midwest bringing the possibility of rain, snowfall and even isolated thunderstorms into late next week.

Light wintry precipitation chances this weekend

 The weekend will be our last bit of winter chill for a little while, but it could come with some light wintry precipitation from time to time. Temperatures will remain in the 20s and teens throughout the weekend, a touch below normal for this time of year. Light wintry precipitation chances may be possible, mainly Sunday evening.

A weak system will bypass the area to the Northeast, keeping the clouds around. A stray flurry may be possible mainly Northeast of the area. Any flurries should not impact roadways at all, and most in the Stateline will remain dry.

A better chance for some light wintry mix may be possible Sunday evening. This could come in the form of snow, sleet, or even freezing rain beginning after 4-5PM Sunday. A few slick spots may be possible Sunday evening, but the precipitation chances will be light and short-lived, kicking out of the area before midnight. After the weekend, a milder pattern takes hold with several days next week reaching the 40s for afternoon highs.

Northern Illinois to see multiple days in the 40s next week

Wednesday's potent cold front was felt all across the Stateline yesterday as afternoon highs were restricted to the upper teens and low 20s. 

With clouds clearing out this morning, additional sun will give temperatures a slight boost, landing them in the low to possibly mid 20s. Still seasonably cool as Rockford's average high this early in the year are heading towards the 30° mark. 

High pressure will be nearby for the weekend, leaving conditions fairly dry but cloudy. Slight improvements in the temperature department continue as we look to peak in the mid 20s Saturday, then end up closer to the 30 mark Sunday afternoon. The one precipitation chance arrives late Sunday into Monday morning as a warm front pushes through. With this front may come the low potential for a rain/snow mix. Otherwise, the bigger headline with it's passage will be the warm, mild air that spills in behind it. 

Cold air will retreat north, allowing Pacific air to spill across the midsection of the lower 48. This will help daily highs surge into the 40s not only for Monday, but Tuesday, Wednesday, and next Thursday. Low temperatures also improve, landing in the upper 20s and low 30s during this stretch. Precipitation-wise, we look to remain dry but cloudy. Forecast models do introduce a storm system late in the week, primarily around the Thursday-Friday time frame which could bring some showers to the area. 

Warm up follows light mixed precipitation Sunday evening

 Temperatures fell a bit below average to kick off the new year, rising only into the upper teens and low 20s. Rockford reached 18 degrees by late afternoon but then warmed a little due to increasing cloud cover and a light wind. As of 10pm, the temperature is currently 19 degrees. Clouds will stick around through most of the night which will make it hard for temperatures to fall, leaving us in the teens through Friday morning.

The current stratus deck overhead isn't overly thick, and this could allow some holes in the clouds to develop by daybreak Friday. If that does happen then temperatures will drop into the low teens. As of now, the forecast low is 14 degrees. Skies will remain mostly cloudy Friday with temperatures warming into the low 20s.

It'll be a quiet start to the weekend as a quickly moving clipper system zips across the northern

Midwest. That may try to sneak out a flurry or two Saturday afternoon locally, but skies are expected to remain mostly cloudy with temperatures in the mid-20s. By late Sunday the return of warm air will be moving across the Midwest which will eventually bring temperatures into the 40s for us next week. Before that, however, could be a brief period of mixed precipitation late Sunday evening. It likely won't be much but something to keep an eye on heading into Sunday night as the possibility of some freezing rain could be in the mix for some in southern Wisconsin and northern Illinois. Following the warm front temperatures next week will be warming through the 40s, well above the average high of 30 degrees.  

2025 Year in Review: Near average temperatures, Below average precipitation

 

Now that record books are closed on 2025 let's take a look back throughout the year at some of the highs and lows. Data gathered from the National Weather Service Chicago shows that the average high temperature during 2025 was 60.8 degrees, which is two degrees above normal. The average low temperature was 39.5 degrees, which is 0.5 degrees below normal. The average temperature for the year was 50.1 degrees, 0.7 degrees above normal.

Unfortunately, the year was a dry one both for liquid precipitation and snowfall. The Rockford Airport recorded 27.74 inches of precipitation which was 9.50 inches below normal, and a total of 31.1 inches of snowfall which was six inches below normal.

Breaking the year down from month to month shows there were quite a few daily record highs and lows broken in both temperature and precipitation (all this data collected from the Rockford Airport):

January:

Daily high temperature of 54 degrees on the 17th

Daily high temperature of 55 degrees on the 30th

February: No daily/monthly records recorded

March:

Daily high temperature of 80 degrees on the 14th

Daily high temperature of 80 degrees on the 28th

March tied for the 8th warmest March on record with an average temperature of 42.9 degrees

April: No daily/monthly records recorded

May:

Daily high temperature of 94 degrees on the 15th

June:

Record daily warmest low temperature of 74 degrees on the 21st

Record daily warmest low temperature of 77 degrees on the 22nd *This also tied Rockford's warmest low temperature of the month of June!*

July:

Daily warmest low temperature of 74 degrees on the 24th

August: No daily/monthly records recorded

September: No daily/monthly records recorded

October: No daily/monthly records recorded

November:

Daily high temperature of 70 degrees on the 15th

Record daily snowfall of 8 inches on the 20th

*4th snowiest November on record with 10 inches of snow*

December:

Tied record daily low temperature of -4 degrees on the 4th

Record daily snowfall of 4.9 inches on the 7th

Record daily coldest high temperature of 4 degrees on the 14th

Seasonal:

Tied 10th driest Meteorological Winter on record with only 2.38 inches of liquid precipitation.

4th snowiest Meteorological Fall on record with 10 inches of snow

Northern Illinois to see a cold start to 2026, flurry chances for some

Happy New Year! A potent backdoor cold front sweeping through Wednesday gave us one last chance for snow before we turned the page on 2025. In the end, Rockford ended up with 0.1". 

The passage of this cold front will spell cooler times for the start of the new year, much cooler than the 50° weather we saw this past Sunday. In fact, highs will end up roughly 30° cooler, landing in the upper teens. With a light northwest wind in place, wind chills will be in the upper single digits and lower teens.

Cloud cover will increase as the morning progresses as a weak disturbance pushes into the western Great Lakes. This may bring enough moisture for flurries during the midday hours, especially in locales north and east of the Rockford metro. 

Areas like Janesville, Lake Geneva, and Delavan may see accumulations up to .5". From there, cloud cover will hang tight for the hours of the evening commute and into the first half of the night. Overnight lows are expected to fall into the low teens.  

Sunshine makes its well-anticipated return Friday, though in a partial fashion. Despite winds being out of the northwest, the additional sun should help push afternoon highs back into the low 20s. 

 

 

  

A fairly dry weekend lies ahead as an area of high pressure dives in from the Upper Midwest. Skies will be mostly cloudy for the most part, with the only chance for precipitation occurring late Saturday into Sunday. Highs will be end up close to what we see tomorrow, in the mid to upper 20s. 

  

Once this high pressure system slides to our east, warmer flow to take hold of the central U.S. This will bring highs back into the upper 30s Monday, then possibly up to 40° mark Tuesday. We look to remain in the upper 30s for Wednesday.