Tracking potential severe weather Friday, rounds of heavy rain this weekend

TONIGHT: Partly cloudy with lows in the mid-upper 60s. Breezy with gusts up to 30 mph.

TOMORROW: Starting off breezy and warm with highs in the low 80s. A Weather Alert Day is in effect for the potential of severe storms that could produce large hail and a few damaging wind gusts by late afternoon through evening.

EXTENDED: Tomorrow warms into the low 80s again ahead of a cold front that will bring a chance for at least a few strong storms, then act as a focus for rounds of heavy rain through the weekend. The main threat with storms that develop in the late afternoon through mid-evening will be large hail between quarter and half dollar size, and potentially a few strong damaging wind gusts to 60 mph. The tornado threat will be low due to an elevated warm layer that likely won't completely erode when other ingredients are most conducive to severe weather. Flooding is going to be the main concern between Friday night and Sunday with waves of rain and storms, especially on Saturday. The axis of heavy rain will be located north of the I-44 corridor, putting most of Mid-Missouri in a range of 2-4" with isolated 5" amounts where we have embedded thunderstorms. A couple storms between Saturday and Sunday will have the potential of quarter size hail near the Lake and I-44 corridors, but a better severe risk will lie to our south, south of the front both days. Next week starts off quieter with temperatures back into the 70s.