Tracking severe storms Wednesday and a quiet end to the week

TODAY: Wednesday is an ABC17 Stormtrack Weather Alert Day. It starts in the 50s, with mostly clear skies. Clouds will develop ahead of storms that bubble up just south west of mid-MO around 7-8 a.m. These will quickly grow upscale and spread into mid-Missouri, bringing a severe threat. Our main concern with these storms initially will be large hail and damaging winds, but a tornado cannot be ruled out, especially near the Lake of the Ozarks to I-44. These push out of mid-Missouri while widespread weaker storms still blanket much of the region. Folks as far north as Brunswick and Macon have a chance at thunderstorms, but the severe risk is mostly south of I-70, and mostly south of Columbia for that matter. The threat will increase the further south you are in mid-Missouri. After 3 p.m. some recover of the atmosphere will bring another chance for severe storms. Again, this will mostly be south of HWY 50 and Jefferson City. Temperatures will only reach 80s near I-44 south of the warm front where storms are strongest. Most of mid-Missouri will only reach the low 70s.

TONIGHT: Storms will wrap up around 5-7 p.m. Then we're clearing out and falling into the 50s.

EXTENDED: Partly cloudy skies, and possibly a few sprinkles, return through the day on Thursday from the north. This will keep highs in the upper 60s and low 70s. We'll be dry and mild through Sunday with highs still in the 70s. Slim rain chances arise early next week, with temperatures near 80.