Tracking a warm afternoon with Friday chances of rain

TODAY: Mostly sunny skies continue today with more southerly wind. Winds will be sustained in the 10-20 mph range, gusting into the 30s at times from the southwest. This will feed warmth, and support a high in the mid-60s.

TONIGHT: We stay warm overnight, with lows just barely dropping into the upper 40s by sunrise.

EXTENDED: Friday will bring a high in the low 60s despite the return of clouds as we near a low pressure system. Shower chances return as soon as the afternoon for some, and become more widespread overnight. We continue to watch the evolution of this system in model guidance, and the overall trend continues to be a northward shift. This continues to lessen our chance for snow. Another notable change is the separation of the system from deep moisture over mid-Missouri. We may find ourselves in a situation where the best lift in the atmosphere (which is near the low) misses us to the north, while the better moisture and instability remains to our southeast. This would paint our region in a bit of a donut hole when looking at a rainfall map. We still expect widespread rain, but our expected totals are beginning to trend downward, with a half inch or less looking more likely, possibly a quarter of an inch or less. As previously mentioned, the northward track also means little chance at snow. As of now, it's beginning to look like our only chance would be a flurry or two with some low clouds that wrap back around on Sunday, but even those are just clipping us in the north in guidance. Saturday brings morning showers, and a high in the 40s with Sunday's forecast dry and partly cloudy with a high in the 40s. Next week starts mild and dry, with temperatures in the upper 40s, fairly close to averages.