Skies should be mainly clear this evening with lighter breezes as temperatures will only fall into the low 60s by midnight, and that means the area will remain mild for this time of year, Storm Center 7 Chief Meteorologist Jamie Simpson said.

The forecast for Friday is not only lousy but tricky as well, said Simpson, because when the rain arrives in any given location it will have a huge implication on how warm (or cool) it will be. Right now it appears most, if not all, of the Miami Valley will still be dry at sunrise.

Expect showers just across the far northwest (Mercer, Auglaize counties). But gradually, rain will overspread the area through the day Friday from northwest to southeast, but may not reach the Dayton and Springfield areas until after noontime and finally to the far south and southeast by mid to late afternoon.

Rain will keep it cool, Simpson said, and the Miami Valley will remain dry and in the 50s all day across the northwest, while Dayton and Springfield should make into the mid to upper 60s. There could be some 70-degree highs across areas southeast of the Dayton metro area.

When rain arrives south and east, the Miami Valley cool back down through the 60s and into the 50s by evening. For football games Friday night, there will be rain at times with temperatures in the low 50s for most at kickoff, but the Miami Valley may fall into the upper 40s in spots by the time the games end.

Rain should taper off by sunrise Saturday. Some sun will return midday Saturday, and then clouds will return to some degree by day’s end with highs only in the mid 50s after a start near 40.

Saturday night into Sunday morning, another area of rain might slide across the southern part of the area. Sunday will remain fairly cloudy with highs only in the low 50s. Clearing Sunday night will allow temperatures to drop into the mid if not lower 30s in spots to start the day Monday with widespread frost likely.

Lots of sun is on the way for Monday and Tuesday, but highs Monday will reach the upper 50s and mid 60s Tuesday.