RAIN, COOLER WEATHER DUE TODAY

A cold front pushing across the state was expected to bring markedly cooler and wetter weather to the region this morning.

The high temperature today is predicted to reach only the mid-50s and lows could dip into the 30s by Saturday morning.

This contrasts with earlier this week when sunny skies and highs in the 80s were the norm.

Dan Ferry, meteorologist with the National Weather Service, said more typical fall weather may have arrived.

"Chances are pretty good we will see some rain that could continue," Ferry said.

He said another cold front bringing rain will likely move through Southeast Missouri on Monday or Tuesday.

Up to now, October has been dry. Only .16 inches of rain has been recorded in Cape Girardeau this month. The largest amount of rain was on Oct. 2 when .12 inches fell.

Ferry said October is typically a dry month, but not this dry. Across the state, rain is about an inch below normal for October.

In September, Cape Girardeau received only 1.5 inches of rain.

In the midst of one of the most active hurricane seasons in history, Southeast Missouri hasn't seen a drop from those storms.

Tropical moisture, including remnants of hurricanes, often makes its way into the Mississippi Valley, Ferry said. But this year, upper level winds have pushed that moisture across the southeastern United States. While flooding occurred in Florida, Missouri remained dry.