Tracking a warm and muddy afternoon
TODAY: Friday is a warm day, as we reach near 50° areawide this afternoon. Winds from the south sustained around 10-20 mph may gust to 30 mph at times. This will bring warmth, but also moisture.
TONIGHT: A cold front will approach this evening. Depending on how fast moisture fills in, showers may develop ahead of the front. This will likely happen in the southeast, near Rolla, if it does at all. Otherwise, we'll have to wait for the cold front's passage. The front will slide through from 6 p.m. to midnight. This will be the best chance at showers for Columbia and Jefferson City. The best timing for rain for these cities will be after 7 p.m.
EXTENDED: Overall light rain is expected, with the highest amounts confined to a tenth of an inch or so near Rolla. Totals near Columbia and Jefferson City are likely closer to a trace at best. The rain will end by Saturday morning, when the cold air fills in behind the front. The high on Saturday is forecast in the 20s. Sunday through Tuesday are ABC17 Stormtrack Weather Alert Days for the bitter cold that settles into the region. We will have sunshine each day, but highs only reach into the teens each day - and lows in the single digits each night. Warmth may return late next week, but we'll still likely be cooler than average. A potential disturbance also looms in this part of the forecast that is expected to increase clouds, but precipitation is still unclear.
