Tracking sunshine and summer-like heat, storms this weekend

TODAY: Mostly sunny and hot with highs in the low 80s. Winds from the southeast may gust up to 20 mph.

TONIGHT: Clouds roll in by the evening and overnight as temperatures fall into the 70s after sunset. Lows drop to the lower 60s.

EXTENDED: Warm air will hold across Mid-Missouri on Thursday and Friday, with morning lows in the 60s and highs in the mid-80s. A strong upper level system will swing a cold front in between Friday night and Saturday, bringing the potential for needed rainfall and thunderstorms starting after dark on Friday through Saturday evening. There is a conditional risk of a few strong storms on Saturday, especially if the cold front slows down. There's enough wind shear to support the development of severe storms, but this could be limited by cloud cover and morning rain. The most likely risk zone is currently along and southeast of I-44 through Saturday afternoon and evening. We'll end up with somewhere between 1-1.5" of rain, with cooler temperatures setting in by Sunday morning. Lows start out in the upper 40s with highs in the mid-60s. Next week is a little warmer to start, but another cold front could work through between Monday night and Tuesday, bringing another brief chance at rain and cooler temperatures to end the week.