Workweek to start on unseasonably cold, but quiet note

ROCKFORD, Ill. (WIFR) - The vast majority of the winter’s been quiet disappointing for snow enthusiasts, but have we ever changed course in the past few weeks and days?

From Saturday night into the early morning hours of Sunday, another 3.4″ of snow fell in Rockford, bringing the total for the week up to a whopping 10.8″, making it easily the snowiest week of the winter! It also brings our seasonal snowfall total to a very respectable 31.3″, now just 2.7″ below normal, with still the rest of March left to go.

If there’s to be precipitation early this week, it’d come as snow, thanks to an unseasonable chill that has funneled in behind this weekend’s storm. The wind is to shift to the northwest, and then the north overnight into early Monday, setting the stage for downright cold start to the workweek.

In the short term, a weak disturbance spinning to our north may bring a few flurries or light snow showers our way overnight into very early Monday, though no accumulations of any consequence are anticipated.

Monday may feature a flurry or two early in the day, otherwise expect cloudy skies just about all day long, with the aforementioned northerly breeze likely making it a challenge for our temperatures to get much above the freezing mark.

A few flurries are possible very early in the day Monday.(Mark Henderson, WIFR)

Clouds are to go nowhere as the noon hour rolls around.(Mark Henderson, WIFR)

Clouds are to remain locked in all day along Monday, with northerly winds keeping temperatures... — Clouds are to remain locked in all day along Monday, with northerly winds keeping temperatures frigid by mid-March standards.(Mark Henderson, WIFR)

Clearing’s to arrive at a rather inopportune time Monday evening, which will allow temperatures to head down into the middle teens for overnight lows.

Sunshine is to make a highly anticipated return to the area on Tuesday, but northerly winds are to remain in place, which will likely keep temperatures for getting out of the 30s for a fifth straight day.

Tuesday will feature much more in the way of sunshine, though northerly winds remain, leaving... — Tuesday will feature much more in the way of sunshine, though northerly winds remain, leaving temperatures on the chillier side.(Mark Henderson, WIFR)

Strong warming is to begin Wednesday, though, as winds reorganize out of the southwest. That, combined with a mostly to partly sunny sky, will allow Wednesday temperatures to reach the upper 40s to lower 50s.

Another warm day is on tap Thursday, though it’ll be far less pleasant, as we deal with yet another strong storm system lifting into the Midwest. The early read on this storm system, one highly agreed upon amongst a suite of computer forecast models, is that this storm’s to take a track that leaves the Stateline in a much warmer atmosphere, thus setting the stage for precipitation to fall as all rain Thursday and Thursday night. It’s not out of the realm of possibility that a few rumbles of thunder may accompany the rain, especially during the afternoon and evening hours. Come Friday morning, cooler air will begin to rush in on the storm’s back side, which may provide a brief window during which a rain/snow mix could potentially occur.

Yet another strong storm system is to affect the Midwest, including the Stateline, on Thursday.(Mark Henderson, WIFR)

The current idea is that this storm is to take a path that would favor all rain here this... — The current idea is that this storm is to take a path that would favor all rain here this go-around.(Mark Henderson, WIFR)

Current indications are that a few embedded rumbles of thunder are possible with this storm.(Mark Henderson, WIFR)

Cooler air wraps back in on Friday, perhaps allowing for a brief wintry mix.(Mark Henderson, WIFR)

In the wake of that storm system comes yet another push of unseasonably cold air. Next weekend is likely to feature temperatures in the lower 30s on Saturday and upper 30s on Sunday.