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Tracking weekend warmth followed by an Arctic blast next week

Temperatures will rebound quickly this weekend, but we’re tracking a strong Arctic chill for next week. Here’s when the big chill arrives.

Get ready to enjoy the warmth arriving this weekend because next week we'll return to more winter-like temperatures and bitterly cold wind chills, too.

After a cold start Saturday morning, south winds combined with areas of sunshine will help push our high temperatures well into the 40s. Even a few 50-degree readings are possible, especially south of the Quad Cities by Saturday afternoon.

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Despite a substantial increase in cloud cover for Sunday, afternoon highs will reach into the lower 50s for many locations as a strong southerly flow remains in place across the region. The timing of any showers appears it will hold off until after dark, so it will be another beautiful weekend for some outdoor activity.

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The cold front that will bring in a fresh Arctic air mass and even a few rain showers will move through by midday Monday. Highs near 50 will be established early on in the day with falling temperatures by the afternoon. Rainshower chances will rise by the noon hour itself and continue into the evening, with a few snow showers likely. This front doesn't have a whole lot of dynamics or moisture to work with, so any rain and snow accumulations will be kept to a minimum. What it will have though is a much colder air mass behind it that will send temperatures crashing into the 20s by Tuesday. Overnight lows will also reach the single digits by Wednesday morning.

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You can really gauge the strength of this cold by looking at some of the extreme wind chill values that are predicted to our north. Parts of the Dakotas and Minnesota will likely experience wind chill values significantly below zero. Yikes!

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Our wind chills here won't be nearly as bad, but still cold enough to put that extra bite in the air. The coldest readings are likely to arrive by Wednesday morning and then again Thursday morning. That's when we'll experience wind chill values below zero for several hours. Despite the warmer temperatures, it's the wind that will continue to impact how it actually feels outside.

There will be some nice recovery by the following weekend, so at least the cold isn't sticking around for a long period of time.

Meteorologist Andrew Stutzke

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