Wet Weather Expected to Close Week

Another damp, dreary day in store; heavy rain concern Friday into Saturday.

Posted by Landon Hampton on Wednesday, December 20, 2017

Conditions look to be pretty damp throughout the day. Light rain showers and mostly cloudy skies will keep temperatures around 50°!

h/t giphy.com
h/t giphy.com

The rain should depart from the region this afternoon. Mostly cloudy skies will break up into partly cloudy skies overnight as lows drop to around 33°.

Warmer Thursday

Southerly flow will increase ahead of the next system on Thursday. This will lead to the development of a south surface wind around 5 to 10 mph by afternoon. This will help rebound temperatures to around 56°. The Hi-Res NAM below suggest some of the winds may be gusty by afternoon!

Overnight lows will remain mild thanks to mostly cloudy skies and continued southerly flow. Lows will drop to around 50°.

Rainy Friday

Our next shot of rain arrives on Friday as a system moves in from the southwest. Rain should begin to develop by Friday morning and continue throughout the day. The rain could be heavy and times and a couple rumbles of thunder may be possible as well. Temperatures will likely top out in the low 60s.

NAM Forecast Rainfall - Valid 6 AM Friday to 6 AM Saturday - College of DuPage
NAM Forecast Rainfall – Valid 6 AM Friday to 6 AM Saturday – College of DuPage

Rain will continue overnight, once again being heavy at times. Overnight lows will drop to the upper 40s. The Weather Prediction Center has outlined the region in a “slight” risk of flash flooding on Friday.

WPC Excessive Rainfall Forecast - Valid Friday - NOAA WPC
WPC Excessive Rainfall Forecast – Valid Friday – NOAA WPC

Looking Ahead

Rain will continue and diminish some on Saturday as a cold front works through the region. The cold front will quickly usher in cold temperatures, leading to a chance of snow showers Saturday night. A few additional snow showers or flurries may be possible Christmas Eve night, but accumulations, if any, should be limited.

That should wrap up this forecast. Be sure to check out the weather feed! –@wxornotBG