Rain a thing of the past, quieter times ahead

ROCKFORD, Ill. (WIFR) - It would not, by any means be an understatement to say these past two days have been nothing short of historic in the weather department.

Some Stateline communities picked up nearly three months worth of rainfall in a matter of just two days, while others registered their heaviest two-day rainfall tallies in more than a decade. When all’s said and done, Stephenson County easily came out as the leaders of the pack when it comes down to receiving the most rainfall, while all of our counties along and west of Interstate 39 had extremely respectable tallies, themselves.

Rockford’s official 6.15″ total checks in as the highest two-day rainfall tally since July of 2010, when 7.51″ came down on the 23rd and 24th of the month. 3.23″ of rain officially fell Monday, easily breaking the record for August 8, set a whopping 83 years ago! Additionally, it marks the wettest day Rockford had seen in five years! Of the 3.23″, one inch came down in a mind-blowing 34 minutes!

Flooding’s been widespread as a result, particularly in Stephenson County, and while we have no more rain to worry about for some time, flooding’s still a concern in spots along the Pecatonica River. A Flood Warning’s in place along the Pecatonica from near Shirland all the way to Freeport. In the Pretzel City, the river’s more than two feet above flood stage, and may remain above flood stage for another two days. Meanwhile, near Shirland, the river sits well below flood stage for the time being, but is likely to head above flood stage at some point Tuesday, and may well remain above flood stage through the weekend.

Thankfully, additional rains are not in the cards for at least the next several days, so an exacerbation of the flooding is not a concern. Clearing skies will take place overnight as high pressure settles in from the northwest, which will allow temperatures to drop rapidly in the 50s by Tuesday morning.

Some patchy fog’s possible each of the next two nights, and may linger into Tuesday and Wednesday mornings. That appears to be the only obstacle we’ll face on either of the next two days. Otherwise, sunshine is to dominate both days. A northeasterly wind Tuesday will restrict temperatures to the 70s in most spots. Temperatures Wednesday will head back into the 80s, though humidity levels are to remain eminently comfortable.

We’re to expect temperatures in the lower 80s for Thursday and Friday as well, with sun-splashed skies each day. Our next rain chances don’t appear to enter the picture until the weekend, and those chances are paltry, at best, welcome news for those attempting to clean up in the wake of the massive flooding of the past two days.

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