Tracking a sunny and mild Wednesday ahead of more rain and a cooldown

TODAY: Wednesday is a bright and mild day, with sunny skies and highs in the mid-70s. Winds will be from the west and northwest, sustained around 20 mph, gusting as high as 30+ mph. Winds will relax slightly into the late afternoon.

TONIGHT: Temperatures will fall into the 50s overnight, making for another mild evening. This is as a low level jet intensifies over southeast Kansas, moving warm air over the region. This will also spur chances for isolated thunderstorms after midnight. We may see some small hail with these storms, but the overall severe threat is quite low.

EXTENDED: These storms will weaken by sunrise, but a cold front on the back side of the low level jet will move in around day break, in the northwest. This will drive a line of showers and thunderstorms through the region during the morning. By the afternoon, an increasingly favorable environment will lead to strengthening thunderstorms. Severe storms will be possible, but likely not until these storms make it southeast of Jefferson City. Hail and damaging winds will be possible as this line pushes through Maries, Osage, Gasconade, and Phelps counties. Behind this line, our weather cools down and dries out. High temperatures will be near 60 through the weekend, with partly cloudy to mostly sunny skies each day. Chilly temperatures settling in Sunday morning will lead us to a chance for Frost.