November to close on windy, cold note

ROCKFORD, Ill. (WIFR) - With the exception of a rather lengthy cool spell in the middle of the month, November’s been a rather mild one, all things considered.

For the 16th time this month, temperatures reached at least 50° in the Stateline, though major changes have been set into motion, promising a much colder end to the month. A strong cold front has passed through the region, first bringing the area a few gusty showers and storms. Following the brief bout of wet weather, temperatures have been cascading downward, falling about 30° in under three hours. Come midnight, we’ll have fallen from the 50s to the 20s areawide.

Thankfully, clouds will remain intact for most of the night, limiting the temperature downturn a bit. However, winds will continue to ramp up as the night goes on. Wind gusts in excess of 30 miles per hour are a good bet to occur for much of the night over most of the area. As a result, wind chills are to fall into the upper teens and lower 20s by 10:00pm, with more cooling to follow.

We’ll certainly need to bundle up before heading out the door Wednesday morning. The day’s to start on a rather cloudy, breezy, and frigid note, with morning wind chills expected to be in the single digits.

Despite mixed sunshine emerging from late morning into early Wednesday afternoon, temperatures will be struggling in a big way, thanks to the still-present northwesterly winds. For much of the day, wind gusts of 30 to 40 miles per hour are all but guaranteed, and a 50 mile per hour gust isn’t out of the question. As a result, temperatures are to reach just 30°, and wind chills aren’t to get out of the teens at any point in time.

With clearing skies expected Wednesday evening, temperatures will be quick to drop, though winds will slowly die down. Still, temperatures will fall into the teens, and wind chills again are ticketed for the single digits.

December will start on a chilly note Thursday, as wind chills are again destined to be in the single digits.

Thankfully, winds are to shift to the south as December’s first day goes on, which should allow temperatures to warm back into more seasonable territory. Our current forecast Thursday, under unlimited sunshine, is for temperatures to top out around 42°.

Another gush of warmer air arrives Friday as temperatures briefly surge into the 50s. However, temperatures are to head back down to the 30s on Saturday as another lobe of colder air sweeps in.

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