Thursday Afternoon Forecast 11/12/26


Thursday Night: Scattered. Low: 30°F  

Friday: Clear. High: 45°F  

Friday Night: Clear. Low: 25°F  

Saturday: Partly Cloudy. High: 47°F  

Saturday Night: Scattered. Low: 28°F  

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General Discussion:  

A high-pressure system moves in from the west into the midwest region. This pushes out the cold front that has brought cold to near freezing temperatures. The sky is expected to be clear Friday, while Saturday will have scattered clouds.

– Day, Brown 

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Forecasters: 

Date Issued: 11/12/2026 5:00 PM CST 

Technical Discussion:

Key Messages:  

  • A strong high-pressure system pushes into the Midwest presenting calm conditions.
  • Expect cold, near freezing temperatures over the weekend. 

At 300mb a long-wave positively-tilted trough is located in the eastern United States with a jet streak located over the Mid-Missouri region causing increased wind speeds aloft. As this trough moves to the East around Saturday 18z, a ridge moves over our area for the rest of the weekend. This ridge is part of an omega block, blocking the polar jet and pushing it up and over the Mid-Missouri area of high pressure hinting at calm weather for the weekend. 

The 500mb maps show similar patterns to the atmosphere aloft. A positively-tilted trough is located off to the East of Missouri. Increased vorticity is present at 500mb til Saturday 18z. This could be important to note because if moisture is present in lower layers of the atmosphere it could cause precipitation.

At 700mb a positively-tilted trough is still present in the eastern CONUS. An absence of moisture at 700mb in the Mid-Missouri region means the increased vorticity aloft will not produce precipitation. The high-pressure system over the central plains moves into the Midwest around Saturday 18z, blocking moisture from the Mid-Missouri area.

The beginning of the forecast at 850mb presents cold and strong winds from the polar jet in the Midwest. As mentioned in upper-levels, the high from the omega block will push in from the west and will enter Missouri Friday 15z. The low level jet present in western Kansas and Nebraska follows the high beginning Saturday 0z, but is blocked and sent north with the flow of the ridge. The polar jet gradually moves east out of Missouri late Saturday 21z due to the ridge moving in. 

At the surface, a cold front recently passed through Columbia earlier Thursday afternoon. Forcing the cold front is the polar jet mentioned at 850mb. Colder daytime temperatures and below freezing night time temperatures will occur throughout this forecast with Friday having the lowest temperature of 26°F. After this front passes, a high pushes into Missouri Saturday 12z presenting calmer conditions with minimal to no cloud coverage through the forecast. 

-Day, Brown