ROCKFORD, Ill. (WIFR) – A significant warming trend is officially underway in the Stateline, and Tuesday looks very likely to bring record high temperatures to the region.

There hasn’t been a day on or after October 29th to see a high temperature of 80° or higher since 1950, but the combination of partial sun and a strong southwest breeze should be able to do just that. The forecast high temperature of 82 degrees for Tuesday would set the record for Oct. 29, which was set until 1922.

On the downside, very gusty winds, dry air, warm temperatures and continued drought are not a good combination when it comes to fire danger, which is expected to be very high, if not extreme, in the afternoon. Fire weather watches have not yet been posted for our area, although that is something that cannot be completely ruled out.

Similarly, Wednesday could present a fire risk, although with a little more cloud and a little more moisture, the risk will be slightly lower than Tuesday.

With Wednesday morning lows likely in the mid-60s, we won’t have to go far to hit 80° for the second day in a row. Increased cloud cover may be enough to prevent us from getting there though. Right now our forecast calls for a high of 79°, but any additional sunshine will allow us to hit the 80° mark in many if not most places. Gusty winds will again be noteworthy, with gusts of up to 40 km/h possible in the afternoon.

An approaching cold front will bring more clouds our way Wednesday evening, and showers and thunderstorms will eventually come into play. With such warm air ahead of the front, a few of the storms could be on the stronger side. The Storm Prediction Center places most of the Stateline at a level 1, marginal risk for severe weather Wednesday night. Strong winds and heavy rain would be our main severe weather threats.

A few showers may linger into the early part of Thursday, although dry conditions are likely by late morning. That’s great news for trick-or-treating plans across the region Thursday night.

High temperatures will reach 61 degrees around noon Thursday, but will drop into the lower 50s in the afternoon. Trick-or-treat temperatures should be somewhere around 50° with the breeze slowly dropping.

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