Tracking a hot Wednesday before rain brings a break on Thursday and Friday

TODAY: Wednesday is the return of heat indices above 100. We'll be hot and humid this afternoon. A complex of storms is collapsing to our northwest this morning. It may send a few storms our way in the north, but it's very likely that we stay mostly dry through the morning. A bigger impact will be some clouds streaming in from that direction. We'll still be bright, with plenty of sunshine through the day. As temperatures climb into the low 90s this afternoon amid a 10-15 mph southwest breeze, an isolated storm or two may develop. Most will stay dry.

TONIGHT: A cold front will be draped to our north at sunset. Storms will be ongoing along this boundary by sunset, and some may spread our direction before midnight.

EXTENDED: This cold front will move through the area on Thursday, keeping rain chances through the day. Chances are greatest in the north during the morning and in the south during the afternoon, although these chances and timelines are not exclusive and rain will be possible through the day. Highs on Thursday are noticeably cooler, in the low 80s. This should have us feeling like upper 80s to near 90. Rain chances linger on Friday, keeping us in the 80s again, but as the boundary lifts back to the north as a warm front over the weekend, we'll see less rain chances and feel more heat. Through Friday, most will pick up 0.25" to 0.75" of rain, with local amounts over 1". Highs Saturday and Sunday back near 90 will have us feeling like low 100s once again. This looks to kick off a warming pattern into next week, when heat will likely be a big focus of the forecast.