Tracking a brief cooldown, and a warm weekend

TODAY: Friday is shaping up quite a bit cooler than Thursday as winds turn westerly and northerly under a cloudy sky. Sunshine will return in the afternoon, so keep the sunglasses handy. Overall, a cool and dry day is expected, with highs in the mid-40s.

TONIGHT: Skies will stay partly cloudy overnight, with winds turning back from the south by Saturday morning.

EXTENDED: Starting in the 30s thanks to some high pressure sitting to our north overnight, we warm only into the low 50s on Saturday despite southerly winds. Clouds will be overhead, but some peeks of sunshine are likely, so we won't likely be overcast. Sunday brings vastly more sunshine, and more south winds, boosting temps into the upper 50s, if not low 60s. Overall the weekend will be well warmer than normal, but mild in comparison to what we felt on Thursday. Warming continues into Monday, where low 60s may precede widespread rain as a low pressure system approaches. Currently, it looks as if we see the northern extent of the system, keeping severe ingredients well south of us. This highlights areas like Arkansas, the bootheel area, and southern Illinois for any stronger storm potential. We may see a half an inch to an inch of rainfall still, as the system brings widespread rainfall to mid-MO. Drier and cooler air returns on Tuesday for the rest of the 7-day forecast.