Tracking warm air and weekend rain

TODAY: Wednesday brings more sunshine into the picture, and with that plus more south winds, we'll see highs climb into the mid-50s this afternoon.

TONIGHT: Skies remain mostly clear, with southwest winds. Temperatures fall to near 40.

EXTENDED: High clouds arrive Thursday morning, but sunshine will still reach the ground early. Overcast skies arrive sometime in the afternoon/evening. This will slow our warm up, but thanks to deep southwesterly flow, we expect highs near 60. With the arrival of these clouds, a few sprinkles are possible. This cloud cover and sprinkle chance Thursday night are tied to a short wave that will keep clouds around on Friday. Still, we expect south flow to keep temperatures near 60 for highs. Warmth lingers Saturday, with partly cloudy skies ahead of thicker clouds and shower chances late in the day. Showers likely move in sometime late Saturday night and persist into midday Sunday. This will likely be some light rain. Temperatures are in the low 50s for highs Sunday, with 40s and low 50s behind this system early next week. The best rain falls near the Lake of the Ozarks, where some could measure a half inch or more.