Mild weather hangs on for one more day
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ROCKFORD (WREX) -- Breezy weather blows in much warmer air for Thursday, but this could be the warmest weather we see in a little while. Much colder air hits at the end of the week.
Mild and breezy:
Breezy winds kept brisk wind chills around Wednesday, but the elevated winds had a side effect. Warmer air pushed in late, setting us up for a mild day for Thursday.
Between the bright sunny sky and the breezy winds, temperatures soar into the low 20's during the morning, and the upper 30's by the afternoon. Thursday will be close to 10 degrees above average!
With westerly winds gusting to 30 mph, we'll see wind chills in the 20's. This at least is a lot warmer than earlier in the week, so even the wind chills won't be as harsh.
Harsh cold hits quickly late this week. A powerful cold front arrives Thursday night, dropping us into the teens. Very chilly weather helps round out the week.
Giant drop:
Temperatures take a big step into colder territory Friday. After spending Thursday close to 40 degrees, we fall around 15 to 20 degrees. That leaves us in the upper teens. A few spots like Rockford may just get to 20 degrees for a high.
Wind chills stay near 0 degrees Friday, then fall a little below zero Friday night. Another day with sunshine may help take some of the edge off of the cold.
Saturday brings similar weather. We stay in the upper teens to low 20's, this time with a partly cloudy sky. We get back into warmer territory quickly after that. Saturday night may stay in the low 20's, then Sunday jumps to the low 30's. That extra warmth comes with a side of snow, however.
Sunday snow:
While the exact details are still being worked out, snow showers look more and more likely for Sunday.
The snow starts up by late Saturday night, and continues into Sunday morning. From there, we may catch a break in the snow action. How long that break lasts depends on the weather model. A second wave of snow starts back up in the afternoon or later Sunday night. This could push snow into Monday morning, if we see a longer delay. Snow amounts are still murky as well, but be ready for some light snow accumulation by the end of the week.
