Tracking near record warmth ahead of a return to winter this weekend

TODAY: Wednesday is a notably warm day, with near record warmth expected. The record warm high to beat is 71°, set in 2017. The forecast is 70° this afternoon. Skies are mostly sunny, and west-southwest winds are sustained at 10-15 mph. Burning is discouraged, as relative humidity is below 20% this afternoon, north of I-70.

TONIGHT: Temperatures fall back into the 40s overnight, making us a bit cooler than this morning. Skies become partly to mostly cloudy overnight, clearing Thursday morning.

EXTENDED: On Thursday, southwest winds will surge ahead of an approaching area of low pressure. This low will bring a dry line through the region mid-morning. This is a front, similar to a cold front, but instead of cooler air, it brings dry air along with a westerly wind shift. This will make burning dangerous again on Thursday. The dry line may spark a shower or storm in our easternmost counties near Montgomery and Gasconade before pushing east. This keeps most areas dry on Thursday. The day remains warm, as the cold front lags later in the day. Highs should still reach the upper 60s before a polar cold front arrives. This will drop lows into the 30s on Friday morning. Friday is cool, with highs in the mid-40s. It's very seasonable again on Saturday, with a high in the low 40s. A slight chance for snow showers is currently forecast for Saturday. The bottom of the curve comes Sunday into Monday, with lows each day near 20 if not in the teens, and highs in the 30s. A warm-up looks likely next week.