Tracking showers and weak storms on Friday

TODAY: Friday is a wet and cool day, with temperatures once again stuck in the 70s, but this time highs likely remain in the low 70s thanks to persistent rainfall. Scattered showers with embedded thunderstorms could bring as much as a half an inch to an inch of rain in many locations, but there is a low chance for isolated instances of more than an inch. Thunderstorms will be weak where they can develop.

TONIGHT: Rain chances will gradually shift south and east overnight, but low rain chances will linger through the morning, especially south of I-70.

EXTENDED: An upper-level shortwave trough is driving Friday's rain chance, but as it leaves, upper-level ridging will take over. This is the heat dome we hear so much about at this time of year. An extreme heat watch is in place as we trend towards hot weather by the end of the weekend. Saturday will certainly feel more summery, but with highs in the 80s to near 90, we expect heat indexes in the upper 90s. Heat indexes of 105+ are possible on Sunday and Monday, when temperatures are expected to be in the mid-90s. Sunday and Monday are ABC17 Stormtrack Weather Alert Days, but Tuesday appears nearly as hot. Uncertainty on temperatures on Tuesday surrounds another shortwave trough aloft that may drive a surface cold front into Mid-Missouri on Tuesday or Wednesday.