Tracking a wet Thursday morning with slim rain chances again this weekend

TODAY: Showers and thunderstorms will keep the region in light to heavy rain through at least sunrise. As the morning progresses from 7 a.m. through noon, rain intensity and coverage will both lessen. Humidity remains in place today, but temperatures struggle to warm out of the 70s given persistent rain and clouds. Drier weather is likely in Columbia this afternoon, but as rain slowly presses south through the day, this timeline is extended into the evening for areas near and south of Highway 50. Rainfall totals are already over 1 inch in some places, and we may add another inch or more where the heaviest rain falls. Most should add another quarter inch through the morning.

TONIGHT: Drier weather returns tonight unless you're near I-44, but clouds linger through sunrise Friday, nearly area-wide.

EXTENDED: Skies are increasingly bright with time on Friday morning, with only fair weather clouds generating partly cloudy skies. We expect a bright day and highs near 80. Some may experience a second day of highs in the 70s. Another quick cold front rolls in on Saturday, bringing a chance of rain, but it's short-lived, as warming ensues on Sunday with likely drier conditions. Sunny skies and a high near 90 is forecast Monday, on what is the warmest day of the forecast ahead of a slow-moving cold front that may arrive by Tuesday morning. This sluggish front introduces rain chances and a large spread of possibilities temperature-wise.