Warm start to the week, cooler end

It was another warm day across the Stateline as temperatures reached the upper 70s across the board. Rockford officially reached into the low 80s, hitting 81° at 6PM! It was a very comfortable day with dew points in the 40s, keeping humidity values low. Clear skies and low dew points continue into the night, allowing for temperatures to cool a bit quicker. We fall back to the upper 40s once again, with very light winds.

Tomorrow is almost a copycat day of what Sunday was: highs near 80s, plenty of sunshine, and very comfortable humidity levels. The only change is a few additional clouds during the afternoon. These will be fair weather cumulus clouds, developing along a field of low-level moisture and sharply cooler skies just above the surface.

The warmth hangs around for a couple more days, before we see a cold front swing through early Wednesday. This keeps afternoon highs a bit cooler Wednesday and Thursday, but we are right back above normal to finish out the week.

Wednesday’s cold front is a “backdoor” cold front. Simply put, this means the front comes from the Northeast rather than the West as most cold fronts do. This front will clear out what little moisture we have lingering around, leaving us very dry for the rest of the week. This means we will see many warm days without the humidity, along with cool to comfortable nights.

The dry air also keeps us clear of precipitation for the foreseeable future. The only chance for rain in the next week is a very slim chance of a spotty shower along the front Wednesday. Other than that, clear skies and lots of sunshine can be expected throughout the week ahead.

The warmth doesn’t stop with this week either. The Climate Prediction Center outlook for the last few days of May is favoring warmer than normal temperatures.