As we head into this afternoon we will see our sunshine become destructive in nature as it heats a very unstable atmosphere. Warm moist air from the Gulf of Mexico is being pumped into the Midwest with the jetstream (and a cold front) lined up just to the west. The combination of these ingredients could lead to the formation of heavy thunderstorms later this afternoon into this evening. Damaging wind, hail, and even a slight chance for the development of tornadoes is possible. Stay tuned here on the blog as things unfold this evening. -Greg

Posted under rain, severe weather, tornado

Severe thunderstorms and even a few tornadoes were observed across the Great Plains States on Saturday afternoon and evening.  That threat will shift a little further east on Sunday.  The National Weather Service’s Storm Prediction Center  has issued a moderate risk for severe storms in places such as Kansas City and Joplin in Missouri as well as Oklahoma City and Tulsa in Oklahoma.  These areas will deal with the threat for damaging wind, large hail, frequent lightning, torrential downpours, and possibly a tornado.

There is also a risk for severe weather further north into Minnesota and Iowa for the day Sunday.  By Sunday evening, that threat for a few stronger storms will exist here in northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin.  Hot and humid conditions are expected across the Stateline during the day with temperatures warming into the upper 80s.  Much of the first half of the day will be dry, with just a slight chance for a shower or two.  By late afternoon and early evening, a few thunderstorms will push into the area from the west.  Thunderstorms are not expected to develop in an organized pattern locally, so not all backyards will see the rain.  However, any strong storm we may see late Sunday will carry the primary threats of strong wind and large hail.  Thanks to the setting sun, solar heating (which helps to destabilize the atmosphere and ‘fuel’ thunderstorm development) will come to an end and the threat for stronger storms will decrease quickly after dark.  General showers and weakening thunderstorms will be scattered about the area overnight Sunday and fizzle out by dawn Monday.

Monday continues to have the best chance for severe thunderstorms.  Should we see enough breaks in the cloudcover leftover from Sunday night’s storms, our high temperatures may be similar to Sunday’s.  Otherwise, humid conditions and low 80s are in the forecast.  A vigorous center of low pressure will continue to slide east and shower and thunderstorm development is likely out ahead of it in our area Monday afternoon.  Some thunderstorms have the potential to take on supercell form, which includes the very slight chance for an isolated tornado.  The main concerns for Monday will be damaging straight line wind, large hail, frequent lightning and heavy rainfall.

Stay tuned to the Weather Blog and WREX.com, or you can follow the 13 Weather Authority on Facebook and Twitter for all of the latest updates regarding the chance for severe weather in northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin.  -Joe

Posted under FutureTrack, rain, safety, severe weather, Threatrack, weather, Wind

We have gone from winter to summer in a matter of 36 hours! Yesterday morning our temps bottomed out in the low 30s with afternoon highs in the 60s. Today we started off in the 50s with highs that will eventually creep into the mid to upper 80s. We were talking about wind chills 48 hours ago, now the words “heat index” are in the forecast this afternoon with humidity bringing the feels like temps close to 90! The 80s will hang with us through the weekend and we could even see some summery storms roll on through this week as well. -Greg

Posted under heat wave, rain

Crystal clear blue skies dominate the Stateline this afternoon, however within the next 24 hours rain will make its return. After midnight we have a slight chance for a few showers and isolated storms as a cold front makes its approach. Tomorrow that chance for rain increases to 70% on and off throughout the day. Within the next 48 hours, some spots could receive over an inch of rainfall. Good news is that we will clear out the showers in time for Mother’s Day, though temps will be cooler with highs in the mid 50s. -Greg

Posted under rain, weather

Good news! Once upon a time this weekend looked like it would be a complete wash out, however things have changed. A low pressure system has set up just to our south and in the past 6 hours has slowly begun to retrograde to the southwest. What this means is that it is backed off and by the second half of tonight our showers will become far more scattered in nature. We still may see rain tomorrow but we have dropped the odds from 60% to 30% meaning that a majority of the day could remain completely dry for some of us! Sunday looks even better and could remain dry for everyone with some sunshine added in! -Greg

Posted under rain, weather

Today will mark our second day in a row that we have topped out at or above 80° in Rockford. This is the first time we have seen back-to-back 80s since September 11-12 of last year. This wonderful weather has put a spring in our step and the yearning for summer into our hearts. Hold tight before you soak in too much and get used to this trend. Tomorrow marks a return to cooler high temperatures in the 50s and chances for rain everyday through the weekend. With that said, enjoy this little summer vacation! -Greg

Posted under rain, statistics

We look to clock in at 80° for the first time this afternoon, which is right on schedule for the Rockford area. A welcomed sight after a well below average April, but it will be short lived. We could squeeze out a second day that touches on 80° tomorrow, then the bottom will drop out and we will be back in the 50s before you know it. This major temp swing has to do with an aggressive and slow moving cold front. With the cooler air we can expect 3-4 days of scattered showers adding to our already well above average recent rainfall totals. -Greg

Posted under First Look, rain, weather

Rain will overspread the area late Monday night into Tuesday. Rumbles of thunder can’t be ruled out but the precipitation will be fairly light overnight into the morning rush. A steadier rain will affect mainly the southeast part of the area during the day on Tuesday.

Futuretrack rainfall is smack dab at a half inch for Rockford. Heavier amounts over an inch are possible where record flooding has gone on in the southwest suburbs of Chicago.

For us, while we don’t need any additional rainfall, it won’t be enough to cause the river levels to rise. However, it may slow the rate at which the rivers have fallen (a few inches) in the past 36 hours. For the record: The Pecatonica River is still holding steady this evening. -Eric

Posted under flooding, rain

Today we will top out well above 60 degrees. Tonight, however,  a new weather pattern takes hold of the Midwest. Scattered showers and storms move in after midnight and bring a cold front with them. Highs tomorrow will only be in the low 50s and the same can be said for both Wednesday and Thursday. Thankfully, we warm back up just in time for the new weekend with a high of 60 on Friday, 62 on Saturday and 68 on Sunday. Enjoy today’s warmth while you can, and then work for the weekend! -Greg

Posted under rain, weather

Clouds will thicken up overnight as a cold front to our west moves toward the greater Rockford area.

There is a line of showers and thunder associated with this cool front, luckily most of the precipitation will push north and fizzle out as it gets into our area on Monday. FutureTrack is showing only a sprinkle of rain at 0.03″ by tomorrow morning. Dry air moves in toward the late morning, but showers will pick back up around midnight. The bulk of tomorrow will bring you a mix of sun and clouds with temperatures topping out near 67 degrees. We could see around half an inch of accumulated precipitation in Rockford late Monday night through Tuesday evening, with the rest of the viewing area hovering between 0.41″-0.58″.

Posted under FutureTrack, rain, weather