Building heat and humidity starts to rise Friday

After another hot day across the region, the humidity will start creeping back in this evening, making it feel a little stickier if you’re heading out. Skies will stay partly cloudy overnight, and while most of us will remain dry, temperatures will only fall into the lower 70s.

Friday is shaping up to be another classic summer day. We’ll start the morning warm and humid before temperatures climb into the mid-90s by the afternoon. As the heat builds, the atmosphere will become unstable enough for a few scattered thunderstorms to pop up late afternoon. Many neighborhoods will stay dry, but if one develops over your area, expect a quick burst of heavy rain, frequent lightning, gusty winds, and plenty of thunder before it moves out. Like most summertime storms, these won’t last very long and should fade away shortly after sunset.

Looking ahead to the weekend, the heat really settles in. A strong area of high pressure will park itself over the Carolinas, bringing plenty of sunshine, and some of the hottest temperatures we’ve seen so far this season. Both Saturday and Sunday will feature highs in the mid-90s, with afternoon heat index values making it feel even hotter. The combination of heat and humidity can catch up with you quickly so make sure you’re taking care of yourself and pets.  Saturday will give way to a few storms again by mid afternoon into the evening.

The heat stick around into next week where  temperatures will be flirting with 100°