It’s going to start as another nice Spring day across the Central Plains, but southerly winds will bring moisture and eventually showers and perhaps strong thunderstorms to the region by this afternoon. So, anyone with outdoor plans for the afternoon should plan on having a rain coat today at a minimum; and you will want to keep that rain coat handy Friday and Saturday as the storms will persist on-and-off into the weekend. Additionally, this rain will complicate ongoing flooding near and along the Missouri River. Otherwise, expect cooler temperatures this weekend with a hard freeze both Sunday and Monday mornings. So, don’t put any of your sensitive plants out just yet! Here’s the 7-day forecast from the National Weather Service:

Today: Showers and thunderstorms likely before 2 p.m., then showers and possibly a thunderstorm between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m., then showers after 4 p.m. High near 65. Calm wind becoming east northeast 5 to 9 mph in the morning. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New rainfall amounts between a half and three quarters of an inch possible.

Tonight: Showers. Low around 46. Northeast wind 8 to 13 mph, with gusts as high as 22 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New precipitation amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.

Friday: Showers before 10 a.m., then showers and possibly a thunderstorm between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., then showers after 4 p.m. High near 49. Northeast wind around 14 mph, with gusts as high as 22 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.

Friday Night: Showers, mainly before 1 a.m. Low around 38. North wind 13 to 16 mph, with gusts as high as 29 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New precipitation amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.

Saturday: A chance of showers before 1 p.m. Cloudy, then gradually becoming mostly sunny, with a high near 45. North wind around 15 mph, with gusts as high as 24 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

Saturday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 26.

Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 49.

Sunday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 30.

Monday: Sunny, with a high near 56.

Monday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 38.

Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 63.

Tuesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 47.

Wednesday: A chance of showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 66. Breezy. Chance of precipitation is 30%.