Plenty of sunshine, and gradually warmer into the weekend

Despite a bit more cloud cover than clear sky, Wednesday was still a comfortably warm day across the area with highs in the 70s. A warming trend and increasing sunshine are on the way for Thursday and the rest of the week into the weekend.

A ridge in the jet stream is responsible for a more quiet weather pattern throughout the upper Midwest. High pressure centered over Wisconsin brought drier air to the region Wednesday with dew points in the 50s. It will remain comfortably warm through Thursday with dew points only slightly higher.

The upward trend in daily highs will continue from Thursday, with highs around 80, to the weekend when highs will make it to the mid-80s.

Our rain chances are pretty slim through the next 7-10 days. More humid air will return this weekend as dew points make it back to the upper 60s to nearly 70 on Saturday through Sunday. There is a possibility of some thunderstorm activity Sunday night and Monday.