Tracking a dreary fall-like Friday ahead a beautiful weekend

TODAY: Friday is a very fall like day, with clouds, light rain typical of cooler seasons, and temperatures that struggle to reach 70. Our forecast high temperature for Columbia is 68. No lighting or thunder is expected today, as a very stable airmass is present, but enough moisture and dynamics in the atmosphere will be present behind this morning's cold front to bring light to moderate showers through the day. Rain may hold off until mid-to-late morning for many, but showers arrive by noon for many, becoming more widespread into the afternoon and evening. Rain will begin first in the west, but spread to the east with time. From north to south, there will be some spread in total rain accumulation, but it may not be much. Most will pick up trace amounts to a tenth of an inch of rain. However, where lift in the atmosphere becomes greater, it is likely that we'll see a narrow band of higher amounts up to a quarter of an inch or more. This is most like south of Columbia and the I-70 corridor, but may end up south of the Lake of the Ozarks.

TONIGHT: Rain won't begin to dry up until around sunset along I-70, but will by the dinner hour for folks along and north of HWY 24. For those along and south of HWY 50, rain will linger into the midnight hour and beyond. We'll be done with rain areawide by Saturday around sunrise.

EXTENDED: Those early Saturday morning showers in the south may trail some clouds behind them, but even in Columbia, we're seeing increasing clearing by sunrise. Only some fair weather clouds will clutter the otherwise blue sky for tailgating through the game at Faurot. We'll have a beautiful day for Football and all other early fall/late summer activities with highs in the mid-70s under sunny skies. Sunday is a near carbon copy with sunshine and a high in the mid-70s. This cool air doesn't last, as we trend back into the 80s early next week.