Sauk Valley could be in line for multiple storm systems this weekend

DIXON — Sauk Valley residents can expect to see up to 3½ inches of rain and possible thunderstorms over the next few days, a National Weather Service meteorologist said.

Several rounds of rain are forecasted through the weekend, with the first set to hit Lee, Whiteside and Ogle counties late Wednesday afternoon, National Weather Service meteorologist Kevin Donofrio said. Wednesday’s showers will continue through the night – potentially turning into a thunderstorm – and into Thursday, possibly dropping up to 1½ inches of rain, he said.

“It should start to ease through the day [Thursday] and enter a dry period Thursday night into Friday,” Donofrio said. “The second batch of rain will come through during most of the day on Friday.”

The second band has the potential to leave up to another 1½ inches of rain, and the western portion of Whiteside County could see closer to 2 inches, he said. There will be some lingering, lighter rain showers on Saturday and, possibly, Sunday, Donofrio said.

Wednesday’s rain will be more spotty, leaving some areas with less rain than others, he said. It also has the potential to generate hail up to the size of a quarter, scattered across the area, Donofrio said.

“I would generally say that threat [of hail] is higher just to the west and south of you, but there’s certainly some non-zero chance for hail,” he said.

Friday’s storm system will be more widespread, and rain levels more evenly distributed, Donofrio said. An additional consideration are wind guests, which could reach 25 or 30 mph, he said.

Lee, Ogle and Whiteside counties can expect some stronger winds that could be damaging, but there’s no threat of tornadoes, Donofrio said. That risk is to the south of the Sauk Valley, he said.

Donofrio noted that the risk for flash floods also is not high in the three counties, but roadways and lower areas very easily could end up with puddled water.

“The key is watching how much rain falls from the storm tonight [Wednesday],” he said. “That would be a precursor for increasing the flooding threats to maybe smaller streams tonight and maybe Friday.”

He also suggested people keep an eye out for leaves clogging sewer drains or the like, which would lead to more localized flooding.