Temperatures are running nearly 20 degrees below average this afternoon after starting out in the mid 20s. Expect a high near 40 with a cold wind out of the northwest up to 15 mph. That breeze will make it feel as cold as the upper teens at times.

Tonight, actual lows (not just the wind chill) will drop to within shouting distance of the teens. We'll hit the lower 20s under a mostly clear sky, so a hard freeze will make for a slow morning as we scrape windshields and defrost the car. Fortunately, it will be running slightly warmer during the afternoon with a mostly sunny sky and highs in the upper 40s.

A huge shift in the pattern starts Thursday with milder temperatures and a few showers. Rain becomes more widespread Friday and temperatures reach the mid 60s. Steadier, heavier rain rolls in Friday night and Saturday morning, bringing with it some thunderstorms. Rain stays in the forecast off and on through at least Monday.