Tracking evening spotty storms before strong to severe chances Friday afternoon

TODAY: Wednesday is warmer, thanks to south winds. Winds will be from the southwest sustained at 10-15 mph, gusting to 20+. We'll have dry air as well, which will foster elevated fire risk. Do not burn today. A chance at showers will come along a warm front nudging into the region this afternoon. Wednesday's high is near 70.

TONIGHT: As the warm front lifts north, it will bring chances for storms along and south of it. We'll be watching these storms for small to large hail on an isolated basis, but the storms will be scattered. A wet start to Thursday is likely.

EXTENDED: Temperatures are expected to continue their climb south of the warm front. Starting near 50-60, we'll climb to near 80 by Thursday afternoon. Despite a warm day, most of the day is dry due to even warmer air aloft. This will likely cap the atmosphere, preventing additional storm development. We'll have to watch radar, though, as anything that develops Thursday night would have a severe risk. Friday is a dry start, with temperatures again reaching near 80. An approaching cold front is likely to stir storms during the afternoon. Storms will have a chance at becoming severe early, before heavy rain becomes the focus Friday night. More rain is expected with another low moving in along the stalled front on Saturday. This repetitive rainfall will bring concern for flooding. Rain chances continue Easter Sunday, but depending on trends, there may end up being some dry time. Stay tuned to the forecast for Easter updates. We'll trend drier towards Monday. High temperatures over Easter weekend are likely in the 60s. For more on all of this, checkout our Stormtrack Insider Blog on the matter.