Tracking a cold morning, brief warming trend expected to start Sunday

TONIGHT: Mostly clear and cold with lows in the single digits.

TOMORROW: Increasing clouds, afternoon flurries and warmer with highs near 30.

EXTENDED: A cold air mass that has gripped the region is beginning to move out of the Southern Plains toward the Mississippi River this evening. While temperatures will remain in the single digits tonight, a warming trend is expected to begin Sunday. High pressure overhead will create clear skies and calm winds tonight, allowing for significant cooling thanks to continued snow cover. Temperatures in some areas are expected to be as cold or colder than Saturday morning. The warming trend begins Sunday as the high pressure shifts east and upper-level ridging moves across the Rockies and into the Plains. A weak disturbance moving toward the Great Lakes will spread clouds and flurries across the region. Any accumulation will likely be limited to a dusting. Temperatures are expected to peak in the mid-30s to around 40 on Monday, which holds the best potential for the region to warm above freezing. This warmth will be short-lived as a cold front moves in from the north late Monday night and reach the southern edge of the region by midday Tuesday. As the cold front moves through on Tuesday, moisture from the southwest increases. Because the front will be reinforcing cold air, any precipitation that falls is likely to be a wintry mix or snow, but the window for Mid-Missouri will be short. Following the Tuesday system, another cold air mass will keep temperatures below freezing for 24 to 48 hours. A second warming trend is expected by Thursday, drawing in warmer air from the southwest, pushing temperatures back in the 40s by the end of the week.