Breezy conditions today create a nice, but brief warming trend

WEDNESDAY: Despite the cold start to the day, breezy south westerly winds and sunshine will allow temperatures to climb into the mid to upper 50s across the region. Winds will be out of the southwest up to 18 mph, with gusts as high as 25. This could lead to some heightened fire concerns across the Ozarks area along with western portions of the region, so any outdoor burning should be avoided in the coming days.

TONIGHT: A warmer night is in store for mid-Missouri as winds remain out of the southwest up to 11 mph. Overnight lows will only drop towards 40 by morning under clear skies, but it still could feel a bit chilly with wind chills hovering around freezing.

EXTENDED: By Wednesday night into Thursday a cold front will begin to approach Mid-Missouri, this will bring a wide thermal gradient across the region into Thursday. Highs along and north of Interstate 70 Thursday will likely stay in the low to mid 50s, with areas south nearly 10+ degrees warmer. As the frontal boundary begins to push through the area, we’ll begin to see showers and storms develop late Thursday night into Friday. Widespread rain is likely Friday, with significantly cooler conditions, as a Canadian air mass settles into the region. No severe weather is likely, but we can’t rule out a fe rumbles of thunder. Any rain we see will come to an end into the afternoon hours Saturday, with many locations see anywhere form .50 to 1 inch of rain. After a brief dry period Saturday evening into Sunday, we see another active period kick off. This will bring the return of rain late Sunday into Monday, with another round of colder air to follow. Be sure to check back at ABC 17 to get the latest updates on the forecast.