Tracking cooler and drier air heading into the weekend

TONIGHT: Partly cloudy to mostly clear. Winds shift to the north as a cold front moves through. Lows fall into the upper 50s to around 60.

TOMORROW: Mostly sunny with hazy conditions due to smoke from western wildfires. Highs in the mid-70s.

EXTENDED: Smoke-filled skies will be present on Thursday as a cold front draws in air from the north/northwest as it slides south across the state during the day. Above the smoke layer, skies will be clear, and rainfall is not expected with the frontal passage. By Thursday night, the haze begins to disperse and we'll see cooler temperatures along with much lower humidity. Lows fall into the low 50s to start Friday morning. We'll have plenty of sunshine under north-northwest winds heading into the weekend as temperatures stay just a few degrees below average during the day. Lows on Friday and Saturday nights could get down into the 40s, especially across northern Missouri. The quiet pattern continues into next week with temperatures near our seasonal normals and limited rain chances.