Tracking weekend rain chances and a wet pattern over the next week

TODAY: Friday brings slightly cooler air behind Thursday's cold front. After scattered rain along the cold front on Thursday, Friday remains dry, and increasingly sunny. High temperatures max out in the low 80s thanks to a west-northwest wind.

TONIGHT: Temperatures fall into the 70s during the late dinner hour and into the 60s overnight. Skies begin to cloud again overnight, leading to a partly to mostly cloudy start Saturday morning.

EXTENDED: Saturday starts dry, but rain chances return as a warm front nudges into the region from the southwest. This will serve as a focus for storm chances Saturday afternoon and evening. We don't expect a washout, but we'll have to dodge rain chance at tailgates, and watch the radar near gametime for the Mizzou Football game. Kickoff is at 6 p.m. and rain chances will present from kickoff through the night. This doesn't mean it will rain through the entire game, as storms should be isolated to scattered, leaving dry time between them. There is hope for dry time and a game that is mostly unaffected. However, with any activity on radar, we'll have to expect a risk for lightning. We'll have several more waves of rain chances from Sunday through Wednesday. Timing is largely uncertain with each individual chance for rain, but we can expect daily chances, with small amounts hopefully adding up to meaningful relief from increased drought. High temperatures are forecast in the 80s through Sunday, with 70s forecast early next week. We have potential to record a widespread one to two inches of rain in the next week thanks to this active pattern. Some spots may see more, of course.