A beautiful weekend continues, warmer early next week with a storm system to watch

Good Saturday afternoon everyone!

We have had uninterrupted sunshine all day today, with a bit of a northerly breeze. Temperatures have been more seasonal, in the mid to upper 20F’s. Yes, sadly this is still more seasonable and normal. The warmer temperatures we had last week, and have coming this week, are a month ahead of average.

Upper level cirrus clouds will build in from the west tonight and into Sunday. These clouds will filter out the sun at times, but will not prevent highs from climbing back into the low to mid 40F’s! Winds will also be on the lighter side, making for a beautiful March day!

Clouds increase Sunday night as we begin to feel the influence of the next large cross country storm system. A subtle wave of energy tracks overhead late Sunday night and into Monday morning. There may be just enough forcing and moisture available for a few scattered showers across the area, but that is not a guarantee.

Temperatures Monday morning will be close to, if not slightly below, freezing. This does pose the risk for freezing rain early Monday morning, and will be something to watch over the next day or so.

Any precipitation clears the area by Monday afternoon, giving way to a mix of sun and clouds. The incoming storm system will bring a deep push of southerly warmth and moisture into our neck of the woods Monday, and Tuesday. This will result in temperatures climbing well into the 50F’s Monday afternoon.

Rain chances return Monday night, and hang around through the day on Tuesday. High temperatures will once again approach 50F Tuesday afternoon, with winds remaining light. Temperatures drop Tuesday night into Wednesday, allowing for rain to change to snow.

There is still a good deal of uncertainty with precipitation coverage and duration Monday night through Wednesday afternoon. This will depend largely on the positioning of the surface low as it tracks through the Central Plains, and the Upper Midwest. Model guidance favors the low swinging across Iowa and into Wisconsin, which would put us in the optimal zone for not only a fair amount of rain, but snow as well.

Too early to determine exact amounts and timing, but confidence is increasing in snow across the area Tuesday night and Wednesday morning. We’ll be keeping a close eye on this system in the coming days, and have more updates for you as they come!

We look to cool down toward the end of next week, with highs dependent on if we see snow or not. No snow would mean 30F’s and 40F’s, snow would mean 20F’s and 30F’s. Plenty of time to watch!

For now, enjoy the beautiful weather the next few days!