FIRST ALERT WEATHER DAY expires as rain chances taper off

The First Alert Weather Day has expired across the Midlands as rain chances continue to drop from west to east.

WIS said in its May 7 update that showers are tapering off and that only a stray shower is possible late today into this evening. The station said the weather system that brought the storm threat into Thursday is now moving out.

Friday is expected to be dry and cooler, according to WIS. The next period of unsettled weather is expected to return over Mother’s Day weekend.

That marks a shift from the station’s earlier forecast, which warned of heavy rain and storms tonight into Thursday with a low-end severe risk and possible localized flooding.

National Weather Service forecast pages for parts of the Midlands still showed a chance of showers and thunderstorms in the Thursday period, but the overall trend is now toward easing conditions rather than intensifying storms.

For Columbia-area viewers, the immediate takeaway is that the most disruptive part of the system has passed, even though a leftover shower cannot be ruled out later today.