Well, we did it, we hit 70° in Springfield. Many other areas in the Ozarks also enjoyed highs around 70° Thursday afternoon. There was even a record high in Rolla/Vichy, recording 70° and besting the old record high of 65 set back in 2015. The warmth came with wind with winds howling out of the southwest. Branson West recorded one of the higher gusts at 51 mph.
Winds will ease this evening, but remain breezy tonight into Friday. This will keep the fire danger at an elevated level as we end the week.
High clouds will sweep back in Friday, making for a high overcast, and possibly trimming back the warmth a little bit. That said, highs in the low 70s are expected closer to Central Missouri with upper 60s to the south.
There will be a slight chance for a shower or thunderstorm Friday evening, mainly east of Hwy. 65. Any stronger storms could also produce some hail, but this should be a very isolated risk.
Chillier temperatures will move in by Saturday morning, marking an end to our current round of spring temperatures. A high overcast throughout the day Saturday will also hamper how warm temperatures can get with many spots staying under 50° for highs.