Our only shot at rain this week has left the building. Sunshine followed the morning cloud cover sending temperatures back into the upper 70s. The warming trend has begun and it will continue into the weekend.

For tonight, we’ll find clear skies and chilly temperatures by morning as readings dip into the upper 40s and low 50s. Areas of fog are expected to develop by sunrise, especially south of the interstate.

Update: A Dense Fog Advisory has been issued for parts of Southwest Missouri and Northwest Arkansas from 4 am until 9 am Thursday.

Sunshine will dominate Thursday’s weather after the early morning fog clears out. Temperatures will warm into the upper 70s to low 80s. Humidity levels will remain low.

The warming trend will continue through Friday into the weekend with a late summer feel developing. Overnights will remain comfortably cool with afternoon highs well into the 80s. Saturday will be the warmer day of the two with highs in the mid to upper 80s. Skies will stay clear.

The first in a series of cold fronts will move through on Sunday. There should be some cloud cover, but no rain is expected. Temperatures will remain warm with highs in the low to mid 80s.

The descent to a much cooler pattern will continue through the final days of September. A deep trough is expected to gradually develop across the Eastern U.S. This should lead to the coolest weather so far this season as we close out September and head into early October. In fact, it looks like 30s may be within reach for parts of the area by the end of next week.

The pattern doesn’t offer up much if any rain either. This means September will likely end as one of the driest on record. Only 1.04″ has fallen in Springfield, currently making this the 16th driest September on record.