We've survived the cold snap of the new year, and now signs are pointing towards a return to warmer temps. 

Mike Albano with the National Weather Service in Lincoln explains that this week will bring highs in the 50s. He says any time we have unseasonable highs, with it often comes rain and the possibility for severe weather. 

Warm temps brought tornadoes in central Illinois last week, and Albano is not ruling out the possibility of some severe storms coming at the end of this week. 

Albano indicates that heavy rains running across frozen ground can lead to flooding at times, and adds that black ice can easily form as we return to the typical frigid temperatures of the winter season. 

Torrential downpours also do not do much in the way of relieving drought conditions in central Illinois. Albano says that while the surface layer of soil may thaw out and saturate during a short warmup, lower soil levels are still too frozen this time of year to absorb rainwater. 

As we head towards the end of the month, Albano notes things will likely return to seasonable temperatures, but believes we may be in for a short winter. We'll have more on that in the days ahead from the Hart Media Group.