Workweek to begin on chilly, but quiet note

ROCKFORD, Ill. (WIFR) - To say March has been an eventful one in the Stateline, weather-wise, would be a tremendous understatement. It was a month that started out very spring-like, with each of the month’s first nine days posting above normal temperatures. From there, it’s been anything but spring-like.

In the wake of Saturday’s snow and including additional flurries and light snow showers Sunday, our snowfall total for March, 2023 now stands at 14.1″. Considering a normal March picks up only 4.9″, it’s quite the accomplishment! Even more remarkable is that this March now stands as the 4th snowiest March on record!

Rain’s been the predominant form of precipitation Sunday afternoon, by contrast, though it’s been a chilly rain, as temperatures have been restricted to the 40s for most, if not all of the day.

Still, that didn’t prevent the development of a few embedded thunderstorms within the scattered clusters of showers that did pop up in the afternoon. While severe weather was never much of a concern, a few storms were able to generate some small hail in a spot or two.

Moving forward, things look to turn considerably quieter, though a few flurries aren’t out of the question through about 10:00pm.

As we enter a new workweek, cooler temperatures aren’t to go anywhere, though we’re at least likely to throw together a few dry days.

Monday’s to remain cloudy at first, and clouds may linger through the early afternoon hours before sunshine emerges later on in the day. A chilly northerly wind is to blow for most, if not all of the day, which will keep temperatures well below normal once again. The 44° predicted high temperature will come in as the third straight below normal.

Tuesday’s to feature improvements, albeit subtle ones, as more sunshine is to be featured with high pressure positioned directly overhead. That’ll spell a good deal of sunshine, which should allow temperatures to inch closer to normal. However, it’s likely we’ll fall short of reaching 50° for a sixth consecutive day.

Wednesday’s to be the chilliest day of the week without question, with many spots potentially not getting out of the 30s. This, as a wintry mix of rain or snow is to develop later on in the day or at night.

Finally, things are to turn milder on Thursday, though a dynamic storm system is to approach, bringing precipitation chances back into the fold. The early read on this storm system is that we’re to find ourselves on the warm side of it, meaning rain’s to be the form of precipitation. In fact, thunder would appear to be a decent bet either Thursday night or Friday. As for temperatures, we’ll reach the middle 50s on Thursday, and our first 60s of 2023 are primed to occur on Friday. Should that be the case, though, we’d potentially need to be on the lookout for a severe weather threat, though it’s far too early to raise any warning flags at this distance in time.

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