Portland’s morning commute Wednesday will be a wet one with steady rain predicted to last until about the lunch hour. Showers continue through the afternoon. The National Weather Service says there’s a chance of as much as a quarter inch of total rainfall Wednesday, and the high temperature will reach near 53 degrees.

Saturday’s setup is shaping up to be a particularly dangerous situation. Increased instability (how quickly the air rises) and wind shear (how the air changes in wind direction and speed with height) will lead to the risk of severe storms capable of producing tornadoes.

A Weather Impact Alert is in effect on Friday for severe thunderstorm threats and widespread, damaging winds. A Red Flag Warning is in effect for much of central and eastern Iowa due to "warm temperatures,

A First Alert Weather Day is in place tomorrow as a significant severe weather outbreak is expected across the Deep South.