Cooler Friday ahead, though remaining mild for the season

ROCKFORD, Ill. (WIFR) - What a difference a week makes!

It’s mindboggling to think that it felt nearly 100° warmer this Thursday than it did just a week ago!

Equally impressive is that out of 3,656 December days since 1905, today was just the 38th to see a high temperature reach 60° or higher!

The party’s almost over, though, but the news is far from bad. A cold front is to sweep through the area late Thursday evening, perhaps touching off a shower or two, then shifting winds to the northwest, importing slightly cooler, though hardly cold, air into the region. Lows are to drop to 33° overnight, which, while cooler, still are warmer than the normal HIGH temperature this time of year.

Friday’s to start off cloudy, though mixed sunshine is a candidate to appear in the latter stages of the day. Northwest winds are to restrict temperatures somewhat, though a high temperature of 40° would still check in nearly ten degrees above normal.

While Friday starts cloudy and ends with sunshine, Saturday’s events are to occur in opposite order. We’ll start New Year’s Eve with sun, but clouds return later on in the day. A southeasterly wind should allow us to tack on a few degrees from Friday’s highs.

An approaching storm system will be worth watching Saturday evening and overnight, not because it’s to be a prolific precipitation producer, but because of the possibility our temperatures may be favorable for producing a bit of a wintry mix. The current thinking is that most of the precipitation is to come as rain, but as temperatures fall close to, or perhaps slightly below freezing overnight, some freezing rain is not out of the question.

Looking into 2023′s first few days, all signs point to warmth returning in a big way. Temperatures on New Year’s Day are to reach the middle 40s, while Monday and Tuesday are to feature temperatures in the upper 40s to lower 50s.

There’s a storm system we’re watching during that Monday/Tuesday timeframe. Obviously, with temperatures as mild as they’re expected to be, this is to be a rain producer, without doubt. It’s possible a few rumbles of thunder may also be in the cards during that time.

The longer range outlook remains a mild one, as well, with a host of computer guidance suggesting milder than normal conditions are likely to persist through the better part of January’s first two weeks. While cool days are promised here and there, and snow chances do appear from time to time, there simply aren’t any signs of bitterly cold air nor significant snowstorms showing up anytime soon.

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