Rockford Area Faces Renewed Tornado Risk Early Next Week

Illinois residents are being warned to prepare themselves for more severe weather coming next week, including a high likelihood for tornadoes.

More Tornadoes Coming to Illinois?

Every Illinois resident knows spring in this state is often wet and stormy, but the multiple severe weather warnings and tornadoes we experienced last week was way over the top.

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Northern Illinois and Southern Wisconsin are still knee-deep (pun intended) in storm cleanup and river flooding, and now Mother Nature is going to add more mess to the mix?!

When I saw that post on my newsfeed today, it angered me a bit. Surely this is clickbait preying on our tornado trauma last week, right?

As I read through the post comments my anger decreased, as my anxiety increased, primarily thanks to this:

Illinois will have a repeat of Friday's storms. Only this time the tornadoes will be bigger and stronger. We always have bigger tornadoes when the Illinois River is flooding. Tornadoes also cross the rivers when the rivers are above flood stage and when the rivers are low, they usually follow the river and didn't cross it. Be ready for Monday night.

So, is the Rockford area doomed for more severe weather next week? Unfortunately, all signs are pointing to yes.

Rockford's Severe Weather Chances

Predicting the weather is a tricky job, and conditions can change one minute to the next, but I like to prepare myself for bad news, and when it comes to severe weather second and third opinions are necessary.

Right now the National Weather Service in Chicago has Monday's severe weather threat for the Rockford area listed at 3 out of 5:

Mark Henderson's Weather Hub is "concerned":

And Eyewitness News Chief Meteorologist Candice King agrees as well:

Thankfully, no local meteorologists have the possibility of "20 tornadoes" in their extended forecast predictions for Monday, BUT it is spring in Illinois... so, we need to prepare for the worst and hope for the best.

(If I see Extreme Meteorologist Reed Timmer heading to the Rockford area again on Monday...I won't be coming out of basement. That's a real sign of bad weather ahead!)