Tracking a wet Christmas weekend

TODAY: Thursday is another warm day, much like Wednesday. We likely won't be as warm, in part thanks to spotty light rain chances by midday, but we still expect highs in the 50s. Rain chances today will peak around 12 to 3 p.m. for folks near Columbia and Jefferson City, before tapering into the afternoon.

TONIGHT: Better rain chances will fill in overnight, with our next climb in chances coming around 3-5 a.m. on Friday. Temperatures will settle in the 40s, without cooling down much.

EXTENDED: Rain chances are widespread on Friday morning. We'll watch rain exit from west to east through the early afternoon, and temperatures likely barely climbing into the low 50s after it leaves thanks to a continues south wind. Saturday may bring a slight chance for a sprinkle or two, but largely, Saturday is warm and dry. We'll see an increase in southerly flow aloft, which should be enough to push us into the 60s. This brings in warmth, but also rain chances by Saturday night into Sunday. The best rain chances return midday Sunday, and linger through the night into Monday, as we track multiple waves of rain within this system over Christmas eve and Christmas day. We may pick up a quick quarter of an inch of rain on Friday, but data suggests we could see another inch or more over the holiday rain event. Temperatures will reach upper 50s Sunday and Monday, before we cool behind this system. Timing of the cool down is uncertain, so part of late Monday may wind up cooler. Still, we're generally warm up to and including Christmas Day, before temperatures fall into a more December-like range by the middle of next week, with 40s forecast.