ROCKFORD (WREX) – The first day of 2021 brought all kinds of winter rain: snow, freezing rain, sleet and rain fell at different points in the day. Looking ahead, snow is taking over this night. Watch out for the muddy roads later tonight.
Back to the snow:
Temperatures rose to or above zero in some parts of the Stateline, which is why several showers fell. The hot air is lighter than the cold air, which makes the precipitation melt on the way down. When it gets close to the ground, however, it freezes again in hail or freezes on contact, which is freezing rain.
Conditions have dropped below zero tonight, both on the ground and in the sky. This causes blows of snow, which we will see for the rest of the night.
Snow can accumulate in the order of 2.5 to 5 centimeters. Additional snowfalls can cause muddy roads at some points. Watch out for slippery conditions this evening. With temperatures below freezing, any rainwater or melted snow can also freeze, causing ice patches.
The snow blows dry around 10 pm, and the rest of the night remains dry and quiet.
Quiet weekend:
After a hectic week of snow (and other showers), the weekend gives us a break, for the most part.
Saturday remains cloudy, but dry, with temperatures freezing. During the night, we may have some bursts, but little or no accumulation is expected. Temperatures fall back below freezing on Saturday night, so watch out for icy spots.
Sunday ends the weekend in dry weather. A little more sunshine appears under a partly cloudy sky. Temperatures reach 30 degrees, so we have a chance to thaw a little and melt or scrape what’s left of the roads and sidewalks. Look for a milder climate like this over the next week.