Dallas residents can expect a mixed bag of weather this week with temperatures swinging from balmy mid-70s to lower 60s accompanied by a series of rain chances. Today's forecast promises partly sunny skies and a high near 76 with a brisk south wind blowing at 10 to 20 mph, and with gusts peaking at 25 mph, jackets may be optional for the midday hours.

The Weather Service is also predicting a partly cloudy night with lows around 61, the south wind persisting at a cool 10 to 15 mph, and gusts continuing as high as 20 mph as Dallasites head home from work and maybe grab an evening outdoors before the sun sets and the chill settles in. Wednesday will look much like today with mostly cloudy skies in the morning that will clear up, leaving a warm high near 82, with that ever-present south wind gusting up to 25 mph once again.

As the week progresses, Thursday will bring more dramatic changes; a high near 80 precedes a strong chance of showers and thunderstorms, developing after 1 pm and carrying an 80% chance of precipitation, so it's a good idea for residents to start the day with umbrellas and rain boots at hand. According to the National Weather Service, the likelihood of showers and thunderstorms persists into Thursday night, with showers and possibly a thunderstorm expected before 10 pm, then likely between 10 pm and 1 am; after that, the chance of showers and thunderstorms continues.

Friday and the weekend do not promise relief, as the forecast suggests a continued chance of showers and thunderstorms carrying through Friday with a high near 68, and a northeasterly wind becoming brisk, gusting as high as 25 mph. The weekend outlook indicates more of the same with Saturday seeing a 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms and a cloudy high near 66, with Sunday and Monday providing a brief respite with partly sunny conditions although slightly cooler, with highs dipping into the high 60s and the low 60s respectively.