ST. LOUIS – As a cold front is bringing some early morning clouds and sprinkles to the St. Louis area early Wednesday, it is also opening the door to colder air.

Skies will clear and wind speeds will pick up in the wake of the front. Sustained winds of 15 to 20 mph with gusts to around 30 mph are expected. Highs will only be in the low to mid-50s on Wednesday.

The center of the storm system bringing the weather change is going to drop towards Chicago by Thursday. That is going to send some clouds back in the area north and east of St. Louis. It may even squeeze out a few snow flurries from Virden, IL, south to Salem, IL. Thursday will be windy, with wake-up temperatures in the 30s and wind chills in the 20s.

Skies will clear again Thursday, with highs only in the 40s and wind chills in the 30s through the day. The storm system may send some clouds and light rain and flurries towards the I-57 corridor Thursday evening.

Winds will start to ease Friday, but it will still be quite chilly with highs in the 40s. The forecast stays dry through the weekend with a gradual warmup.