Heat index above 100° Thursday

Heat wave building
Janessa Webb,

 

 

​Tonight, it’ll be another warm and quiet night across the region. Expect mostly clear to partly cloudy skies with temperatures only slipping into the lower 70s. Humidity will remain noticeable overnight, so don’t expect much relief from the muggy air before sunrise.

Thursday & Friday: Get ready for the hottest stretch of the forecast. Sunshine will be in full force both days, sending afternoon temperatures soaring into the mid-90s, with many communities reaching mid to upper 90s.

The bigger story, though, is how it will feel outside. Humidity levels will climb right along with the temperatures, pushing “feels like” values to around 104 degrees during the afternoon, especially on Thursday. If you have plans to be outside, take it easy during the hottest part of the day, stay hydrated, and find opportunities to cool off indoors. 

This Weekend: We finally start to see a small change in the pattern. It won’t be quite as brutally hot, with highs settling into the lower 90s, but the added moisture in the atmosphere will bring back our typical summertime pop-up showers and thunderstorms. The best opportunity develops after about 2 p.m. Not everyone will get wet, but any storm that forms could produce brief downpours, gusty winds, and frequent lightning before quickly moving out.