Tracking clouds and cool conditions today

THIS AFTERNOON: Partly cloudy and cool, with highs in the mid-50s. Winds from the north and east will be lighter than in the morning, between 5 and 15 mph.

TONIGHT: Cloudy and dry, with temperatures falling into the 40s after dinner.

EXTENDED: A deck of clouds will pass through the area tonight, but we'll stay dry and seasonably cooler. Tuesday is already milder in the 60s as high pressure expands to our west, and we'll jump to around 80 degrees by Wednesday. Columbia's record high on Thursday (86 degrees in 1910) is in jeopardy, with our forecast currently in the upper 80s to near 90 in some spots. A cold front is expected Thursday night, possibly bringing some stronger storms into early Friday. We'll also see a massive cooldown back to the 50s on Friday and into the weekend.