Rain showers Wednesday could come with a few rumbles of thunder

It's been a rather dry start to the month of March as the first nine days of the month haven't recorded any precipitation. That dry stretch, however, is about to come to an end as the chance for rain will increase during the morning Wednesday.  

Skies will remain mostly clear Tuesday evening but cloud cover is expected to thicken up during the overnight. The increase in cloud cover is in response to increasing winds in the lower part of the atmosphere, increasing moisture and an incoming mid-level disturbance. Showers with a few isolated thunderstorms are expected to develop out west over Iowa late Tuesday evening, moving east and northeast with the incoming disturbance. That disturbance will reach northwest Illinois and southwest Wisconsin by sunrise Wednesday. Rain showers, some moderate, will lift through the area around sunrise Wednesday, and then are expected to become a little more scattered during the afternoon. In fact, our skies may actually clear of some of the cloud cover during the afternoon. If that does happen, southwest winds could gust as high as 40-45 mph during the afternoon. Temperatures on Wednesday will warm into the mid and upper 60s. It actually might feel a little muggy during the day as moisture and dew points are quick to rise during that time.

A line of showers and isolated thunderstorms will develop along a cold front to our west Wednesday evening, moving close to the Stateline late Wednesday - most likely between 8pm and 10pm. Heavier downpours will be possible as the front comes through, along with a small chance for a few gustier thunderstorms. Severe weather is not expected, as that threat will remain a little more focused from near Kansas City, southwest into Oklahoma. But the risk for thunderstorms does extend all the way up through northern Wisconsin Wednesday.

The cold front will pass through the area mid-morning Thursday taking most of the rain shower and thunderstorm chances southward with it. Skies will begin to clear out as high pressure moves in late Thursday night and Friday.

As for rain amounts between Wednesday and Thursday it looks like most will receive around half an inch, with a few spots adding up a little more by Thursday afternoon.