Triple Digit Heat Indices This Weekend

After Barry pushes through the Stateline Area on Tuesday, humidity will shoot up over the following few days with dewpoint temperatures reaching the low 80's for Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. This humidity in conjunction with temperatures in the low to mid-90's will bring scorching heat indices to Northern Illinois. This comes only days prior to a strong cold front that could pull our high temperatures down to the low 80's.

Barry Closing In

Tropical Depression Barry is quickly making its way north along the Mississippi River Valley. Its northern flank will reach the Stateline Area as early as Tuesday afternoon. It will likely drop plenty of scattered showers and a couple of isolated thunderstorms. This rain will continue on through the remainder of Tuesday and into Wednesday.

The Warmth (and Humidity) Continues!

Today's high in the low 90's (93 degrees officially in Rockford) marks the 7th day in July that the Stateline has had temperatures 90 degrees or above.  Certainly a very warm start after 6 successive months having below normal temperatures! We've had a very cool start to 2019 but now it looks like that trend may be changing!

This is typically the warmest time of the year with average highs of 85 degrees, which continues until July 20 and then our average high temperatures start a slow decline.

We will also experience some impacts from the remnants of Tropical Storm Barry, which will move into the Stateline area on Tuesday and bring chances for rain and thunderstorms in the afternoon and evening.  After that, our next shot at rain will come on Friday as a weak cold front pushes through.  We may also get some relief early next week as a storm system pushes a stronger cold front through the Stateline on Monday.

Please exercise caution if you will be outside for extended periods of time this week - stay hydrated and limit exposure to the heat for yourself and others as possible.  

More Heat on the Way

A colorful sunset tops off a hot day at the Rochelle Municipal Airport and the heat is here to stay. In fact, with temperatures holding in the lower 90's and the humidity on the rise thanks to the remnants of Hurricane Barry, heat indices could make temperatures feel closer to the 100 degree mark later next week. In addition, with heat and humidity such as this, we cannot rule out a couple of popup showers and thunderstorms on any given day in the upcoming week.

Tropical Storm Barry Threatens Gulf Coast with Heavy Rain, Flooding and Storm Surge

Tropical Storm Barry continues to spin in the Gulf of Mexico just off the coast of Louisiana Friday evening with maximum sustained winds of 65 mph and a central pressure of 993mb.  Barry is moving very slowly to west/northwest around 6 mph.  Hurricane Warnings have been issued for the shores of Louisiana, as well Storm Surge Warnings, Tropical Storm Watches and Warnings in Mississippi and further inland. 

Barry *could strength to a Category One Hurricane within the next 12-24 hours but is forecast to make landfall as a Tropical Storm Saturday afternoon.  While strengthening has been observed over the last 24 hours, there is still some wind shear and dry air that may keep it holding on to Tropical Storm strength.  Wind will be a threat with this storm but extreme rainfall, flooding and storm surge will be the greatest concerns through the weekend.  Locally up to 15 to 20 inches of rain could fall through Sunday night impacting already swollen rivers and flooded neighborhoods from previous rainfall. 

The storm will weaken once it makes landfall but will continue to pull moisture north with it early next week.  Some of the rain could make it as far north as the Stateline Tuesday or Wednesday of next week, but the majority will remain south.


For the latest information and forecast discussions from the National Hurricane Center regarding Tropical Storm Barry, click on the National Hurricane Center's website.

Long Range Outlook Favors More Heat by the End of Next Week

A brief break from the humidity took place Thursday afternoon but will soon to return as temperatures rise back into the 90s as early as Sunday afternoon. A strong ridge of high pressure over the southwest has brought triple digit heat to some, but will remain anchored in the southwest through the weekend.

As the jet stream pattern begins to shift the heat will spread east over the Plains early next week.

Locally, temperatures will rise back into the low 90s as the remnants of Tropical Storm Barry lift north over the Mississippi River Valley. A dip in the temperature may occur either Tuesday or Wednesday if cloud cover and the chance for rain increase. By the middle to end of next week the strong ridge out west will shift east shifting the heat east with it. This could help bring high temperatures by the end of next week and next weekend into the mid and upper 90s.

The extended outlook from the Climate Prediction Center favors a higher probability for above average temperatures by the middle to end of next week. The precipitation outlook is favoring a drier trend over northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin.

Dry Skies Continue through Friday Night

Heavy rain and thunderstorms came down late Tuesday night but our skies were quick to clear Wednesday and Thursday, leaving us with nothing but sunshine and warm temperatures. A brief break from the humidity Thursday afternoon will be followed by a gradual rise in dew point temperatures by the weekend.

The increase in moisture could also lead to an increase in rain and storm potential, but the overall outlook for rain is fairly low through the next several days. Since June 1st the Rockford Airport has recorded almost 4.3 inches of precipitation, a deficit of 1.76 inches. So far July has been a dry month with a little over one inch of rain coming down during the first week and a half. With the forecast calling for limited rain chances heading into the weekend, the deficit will likely grow and could become a slight concern to farmers, especially as the temperature warms next week.

Along the Gulf Coast of Louisiana Tropical Storm Barry is expected to make landfall this weekend bringing nearly 10 (plus) inches of rainfall to parts of southern Louisiana. The remnants of Barry are expected to lift north through the mid-Mississippi River Valley and then into the Ohio Valley by early next week. Cloud cover may become a factor early next week but it doesn't look like the moisture from Barry will have too much of an influence on our weather locally next week.