Significant warming trend to begin Tuesday, 40s possible by Wednesday

ROCKFORD, Ill. (WIFR) - It’s no secret that we’ve been mired in quite a wintry stretch of late, whether it be due to snow, cold, or a combination of the two.

Monday saw a period of light snow in the day’s infant hours, amounting to about a half inch officially in Rockford, while some northern locales saw slightly higher totals. Still, it was hardly a noteworthy event, and we continue to post a rather healthy snowfall deficit for December and for the season as a whole.

It’s hard to envision a scenario in which this deficit shrinks in the coming days. If anything, it’s far more certain to grow as we transition toward a milder pattern as we enter 2022′s final days.

Tuesday and Wednesday are to feature a good amount of sunshine, along with a wind shift to the south. That simple combination of ingredients should allow temperatures to reach the upper 20s to lower 30s on Tuesday, and with a stronger wind in place Wednesday, 40s appear to be a very good bet.

The abundant sunshine and milder temperatures should make area car washes an attractive destination each of the next two days, though things get a bit more dicey on Thursday as our next storm system takes aim on the region.

Thursday’s to start quietly, though later in the day and even more so at night, chances for rain return to the forecast. Still, we’re to be well within this storm system’s warm sector, which promises temperatures to surge in a big way, likely reaching the lower 50s in many spots.

All signs point to temperatures remaining in the 40s through New Year’s Eve, and mild temperatures are expected for at least the first handful of 2023′s days. However, the pattern looks to remain unsettled at times, with rain chances inserted in the forecast on an almost-daily basis.

Though January, historically speaking, is our coldest month of the year, it’s no stranger to milder days either. One of the driving reasons for that is the rapidly increasing amount of daylight we see by the day. We’ll gain between 20 and 40 seconds of daylight during each of December’s final days. While that may not seem like much, it does add up. Over the course of the next three weeks, we’re to gain more than 22 minutes of daylight, which is enough to potentially add a degree or two to our temperatures. It’s all part of our very slow climb out of winter and into spring, which will accelerate once we enter February and March.

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