Tracking hazy skies and late week rain

TODAY: Sunny skies remain in the forecast today, but you may notice a haze from wildfire smoke. Fortunately this should not impact our air quality at the surface. Temperatures return to the mid-80s thanks to more south wind today.

TONIGHT: Temperatures remain in the 60s and 50s overnight, with clear skies.

EXTENDED: Wednesday is warmer, and mostly sunny, with highs in the upper 80s. Mostly cloudy skies return through the day Thursday, as the remnants of Francine arrive from the south. You may notice thin clouds in the morning, but we may see these thicken into an overcast sky through the day. Temperatures will remain summer-like, but a few degrees cooler thanks to clouds. Expect highs in the low-to-mid 80s Thursday afternoon. Friday is looking cooler yet, with thicker clouds and rain returning. Showers may begin as early as Thursday evening in the south near I-44 to HWY 50, but spread further north overnight. The chance for rain is greatest south and east, with chances for rain quickly tapering off to the north west. While some in Sedalia, Marshall, and Brunswick may pick up a passing shower or two, totals are expected to be very low if these locations see rain at all. Even near I-44, this won't be a washout, with less than a 40% chance of an inch of rain in this region through Friday. Folks from I-44 to Jefferson City and Columbia are most likely to see less than half an inch. The bulk of the rain will end, but showers may linger into Saturday, with drier air and highs in the 80s returning over the weekend.