THE OTHER SIDE OF THE PILLOW...

In my previous post I talked about the backdoor cold front that would create impressive temperature changes going into the weekend. The front has not disappointed as you can see in the 2:00pm observations. A balmy 81 in Chicago and rainy raw 35 degrees due north in Green Bay.

Here's a broader view of the contrast in weather across the Midwest.

The colder air has now advanced into my area and after highs in the 60s and 70s earlier, readings are now in the 40s as far south as Cedar Rapids. The cold will continue to bully its way into northern Missouri and Illinois and tomorrow temperatures should end up 20-30 degrees colder in my local area. Most highs will be in the 40s. Around Chicago temperatures should be down 40 degrees from the low 8os of today.

Rain is also making progress as the surface low takes a bead on Missouri. Here's the satellite image showing the tight closed circulation at 500mb over the Texas panhandle.

The latest radar shows rain increasing ahead of the system.

The next 24 hours promise to be wet and cold over many parts of the central Midwest. The Weather Prediction Center shows this for rainfall through Sunday.

Throw a brisk east wind and highs in the 40s into the rain and drizzle and Saturday will be a loser. Totally the other side of the pillow. Make your plans indoors! Roll weather...TS

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