Warm Wednesday Ahead of Thursday Storm System

Pleasant weather is expected to continue through Wednesday across the region, with temperatures climbing to the mid-70s to near 80 degrees under partly sunny skies. Overnight into Thursday morning, humidity will increase as a weather system approaches, bringing a round of rain expected to arrive by early morning Thursday. The rain is forecast to taper off late morning to early afternoon, followed by a break in precipitation. Scattered thunderstorms are anticipated to develop in the afternoon and early evening Thursday, with gusty winds, hail, and heavy downpours as the primary threats. A cold front will move through during this period, helping to clear the system. Conditions are expected to improve significantly by Friday, with partly sunny skies and temperatures in the 75-80 degree range before cooling back into the 70s over the weekend. Shower chances will be limited Friday through Sunday, with any activity mainly confined to the northern areas, though a few isolated showers are possible in southern areas on Saturday. Overall weather impact is rated at a Level 2 out of 5.