Hot, humid, and sunny into the weekend

***HEAT ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 12 PM TODAY THROUGH 8 PM MONDAY***

FRIDAY: It’s a mild start to the morning across Mid-Missouri, as temperatures hold steady near 70 degrees. With little clouds in place and an upper level ridge taking hold across the region, temperatures will rapidly climb once the sun rises. By the early afternoon hours expect temperatures to already be near 90 degrees. We’ll see highs today top out in the mid to upper 90s, with heat indices near 103 degrees. Little relief expected through the day, however spot storms are possible in southern Mid-Missouri. Most locations will remain on the dry and breezy side today, with winds out of the south up to 12 mph.

TONIGHT: A stagnant and mild night is expected across the region, as temperatures bottom out in the mid 70s. While we won’t experience the warmest record low, tonight will be unusually warm. Winds will be out of the south up to 9 mph continuing to reinforce the heat and humdity.

EXTENDED: The upper level ridge which is causing the heat will remain over the area through the weekend, causing temperatures to rise into the mid 90s through Sunday. With the humid conditions expected, heat indices will likely top out at 100-103 degrees each day. Rural areas near cornfields can expect slightly higher heat indices due to “corn sweat” or evapotranspiration which adds moisture to the air, causing the humidity to be higher. Now is the time to go ahead and make heat preparations if you are going to be outside for extended periods of time, as you will want to watch out for signs of heat exhaustion. We stay dry this weekend, with rain chances looking to increase early next week as we tap into gulf moisture and the upper level ridge weakens slightly. Watch ABC 17 News for the latest forecast and check back here for updates.