Heavy rain and storms Friday, ice and snow Saturday

A Weather Alert Day is in effect for Friday and Saturday for the potential of heavy rain and wintry weather.

TONIGHT: Increasing clouds and breezy, lows in the mid-40s.

THURSDAY: Mostly cloudy, windy, and warm. Rain moves in by late afternoon. Highs in the upper 50s.

EXTENDED: Tropical moisture will build in across Mid-Missouri as the jet stream to our west digs south, sending southwest winds in our direction. All of that moisture coupled with strong forcing in the upper levels of the atmosphere will allow scattered showers to develop Thursday into Thursday night. The forcing increases even more on Friday as a cold front tracks in our direction, sending widespread heavy rain and a few embedded strong thunderstorms our way. The best chance for any severe weather will stay mainly to our south, but we'll have to watch for a few isolated storms that produce gusty winds and hail. A Flash Flood Watch is in effect for all of Friday, with 2-4" of rain possible. As colder air moves in from the north, expect a transition to a wintry mix late Friday night. This could create an icy glaze on the roads before that mix turns to snow into Saturday morning. Snowfall amounts will roughly be between 3-5", and snow is expected to wrap up by late afternoon or early evening. Any shift in the track or speed of this system could change the wintry part of this forecast, so stay with ABC 17 Stormtrack for the latest developments this week.