Tracking scattered storms tonight into Wednesday, heat continues

TONIGHT: Scattered storms, some with gusty winds and lightning. Lows in the upper 60s to around 70.

TOMORROW: Mostly cloudy early with showers and storms along and north of Highway 24. Gradual clearing with highs in the low 90s. Heat index between 100-103.

EXTENDED: More storms are expected to form along a cold front to our north later this evening and potentially bring heavy rain to far northern Missouri overnight. We could see a few storms with strong wind gusts out of this isolated batch, and then along and north of Highway 24 with storms later tonight after sunset. Showers and storms could linger for areas north of that corridor into the morning, and perhaps a few more developing along the cold front near I-44 by Wednesday afternoon. The front shifts back north on Thursday, keeping any meaningful rain to our north. The hot pattern holds as the Heat Advisory was extended through Friday for the southern half of the area including Jefferson City and the Lake of the Ozarks, where the heat index could flirt with 103-105 each day through the end of the week. Unfortunately, heat looks to hang on through the weekend before the upper pattern begins to flatten, and we could finally see a rain chance by Sunday as temperatures try to cool into next week. When the front passes between Monday and Tuesday, we should get a reprieve from the heat with highs in the upper 70s to low 80s.